In his first meeting with members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR), Pope Leo XIV focused on five “key aspects” of the spirituality that characterizes the movement.
“God has indeed blessed your communities with so many gifts, including spiritual vitality,” Leo declared before thousands of charismatic Catholics who gathered with him on May 30 in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican.
“The years following the Second Vatican Council were a time of great expansion and growth,” for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, Leo continued, as he proceeded to cite several messages from his predecessors, such as St. Paul VI — who, in 1975, encouraged the CCR to bear witness to spiritual renewal in a secularized world — or St. John Paul II, who urged members of the movement to communicate “zeal for the Gospel to those around you.”
Leo XIV also cited Benedict XVI, who, in 2008, highlighted that the Catholic Charismatic Renewal has reminded the Church of the enduring relevance of the charisms — or gifts — of the Holy Spirit. He concluded with Francis, who regarded the CCR as a “flood of grace.”
5 key aspects
1. Baptism in the Spirit. Pope Leo XIV highlighted that the path of faith of the CCR “has its source in the personal experience of the Holy Spirit, which has enabled the grace of baptism to become effective within each of you, leading you to a clear awareness of God’s love.”
“The Holy Spirit has likewise allowed you to taste the sweetness of Christ. For you, too, life has changed since that moment. God ceased to be a mere idea and became the real and ultimate expression of fatherhood. His Spirit has brought inner reconciliation, peace, and freedom from worldly attachments and the oppression of sin,” which animates one “to be witnesses and heralds of his love, bringing his consolation to people oppressed by a sense of emptiness and loneliness.”
2. Prayer of praise. Leo XIV also underscored that it is “from this captivating experience of the Holy Spirit that a new life of prayer began, taking the form of a new capacity for spontaneous and sincere dialogue with God, and a new openness to praise, worship, and offering thanksgiving.”
“Worship and praise, which are so characteristic of your gatherings, are essential aspects of Christian prayer, and you have helped them to be rediscovered and brought them back to the forefront in recent years,” Leo noted.
3. The word of God. “The Holy Spirit inspired the revealed word of God and is also the one who keeps it ever alive and active in the Church, causing it to resonate in the hearts of believers, especially in the liturgy,” the pope continued.
So it is that “Scripture has therefore become for you a wonderful source of spiritual nourishment that enlightens and comforts. It is similarly a source of discernment for guiding your daily choices and gives substance to communal prayer, enabling you to address the Lord with words inspired by God himself.”
4. Communion. Leo XIV highlighted that “the Holy Spirit is the wellspring of communion” and recalled that Pope Leo XIII encouraged praying to the Holy Spirit for Christian unity. “You clearly appreciate the significance of this invitation, for you have seen that unity in the Church is the fruit of the Spirit,” Leo XIV emphasized.
“It is the Spirit who creates harmony among the various charisms and components of the charismatic renewal, as well as with our brothers and sisters of other Christian denominations,” Leo observed.
5. Charity. “The renewed presence of the Spirit has awakened in you a new capacity to love, inspired by divine charity itself. This love is directed toward God and toward your brothers and sisters, and inspires closeness and compassion, especially for those who are suffering,” he added.
“Many works of charity for those in need, both in spirit and in body, have sprung from the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. I invite you, then, to keep alive this love for the poor, which reveals the true face of God,” he continued.
Concluding exhortation
After thanking them, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal to pursue their mission by placing themselves “at the service of the dioceses and parishes, offering your experience and methods of evangelization. Faithfully follow the guidance of your priests and, in your communal discernment, listen to the voices of wise people, even if they do not belong to your groups,” Leo exhorted.
In his final exhortation, Pope Leo called upon the members of the movement to “cultivate harmony and cooperation among the communities to which you belong, taking care to never give way to the desire for self-promotion, or the pursuit of power or personal prestige.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
