Pope Benedict, Traditionalist, Charismatics, and other Movements

There is always a bit of tension between let us say the traditional liturgy crowd with a the charismatic and new ecclesial movements/communities groups. Well in fact there is a lot of tension if not hostility.

This is unfortunate. For the most part, I find each segment of the Church that is represented by these groups are Orthodox, and on fire for their faith. Also all these folks have lets say common people that oppose them.

I do understand the concerns of the traditional folks and indeed share some of them. There are examples of abuse and wrong headed directions in these movements. However, one could point to examples of Traditionalists gone awry too.

Pope John Paul the II and now Pope Benedict have this viewpoint that the Holy Spirit is working in both. It appears that the same Pope Benedict that is bringing more Latin Mass , more tradition. and asking us to recapture our Catholic Patrimony is also saying these movements and groups have a important place. It is apparent he sees no contradiction!!!

Because he does not I hope that perhaps more Traditional Liturgical publications and blogs will not just pretend the Holy Father is saying all this. Now this movements are of course not all Liturgy but as Catholic people our Liturgy is the focus of our lives in many ways as "Community"


The Pope yesterday gave a address on this topic just a couple of days ago addressed a bishops' seminar on the "New Movements" organized by the Pontifical Council for the Laity. That link I just posted goes to the Asian News story on the event. I thought this was very interesting especially after the recent fracas over The Bishop of Japan and the Neocatechumenal Way in which the Bishops sought Papal Intervention

I am awaiting a full translation of this address. When it is up , I will hopefully recall to update this entry with that link. However from the News story this quotes from Pope Benedict:

"The ecclesial movements and new communities are one of the most important new developments prompted by the Holy Spirit in the Church for the implementation of Vatican Council II . . . this development is still awaiting adequate comprehension in the light of God's plan and of the Church's mission in the context of our time"

In his address today, the pope recalled with gratitude "the unexpected eruption" following Vatican Council II of the "new lay realities that, in various and surprising forms, brought vitality, faith, and hope back to the entire Church". Thanks to these, membership in the Church came to be viewed as a value, and not as a burden, reawakening "a vigorous missionary impulse, moved by the desire to communicate to all the precious experience of the encounter with Christ, understood and lived as the only adequate response to the profound thirst for truth and happiness in the human heart".

In order to incorporate the novelty of these experiences within the fabric of the Church, there has been no lack of "numerous initiatives of reminder and orientation on the part of the pontiffs, who have begun an ever deeper dialogue and collaboration at the level of many particular Churches". In this way, "many forms of prejudice, resistance, and attention have been overcome". But now there is the need for a "more mature communion of all the ecclesial components, so that all the charisms, in respect of their uniqueness, may completely and freely contribute to the building up of the one Body of Christ".

I think that is is interesting. Again he sending a message to these various movements and groups also.

Approach the movements with great love" - the pope exhorted the bishops to "approach with great love the movements and new communities . . . in order to gain an adequate understanding of their reality, without superficial impressions or reductionist judgments". A number of times, the pope repeated that "the ecclesial movements and the new communities are not a problem or an extra risk, added to our already weighty responsibilities. No! They are a gift from the Lord, a precious resource to enrich with their charism as the entire Christian community . . . Difficulties or misunderstandings on particular issues do not bring the right of isolation".

What might be feared is a journey along parallel lines, each for himself, the bishops on one side, the movements on the other. This would mean an impoverishing of both. Thus Benedict XVI exhorts the pastors to "a service of discernment" and to "correction" of the values of the movements, and at the same time to resist "the temptation of making uniform what the Holy Spirit wants to be multiform, to contribute to the building and growth of the one Body of Christ, which the Spirit himself makes firm in unity".

The pope recalls that the movements, "proud of their freedom and of their fidelity to their charism", have already demonstrated in the past that "fidelity and freedom are assured, and certainly not limited, by ecclesial communion, of which the bishops, united with the successor of Peter, are ministers, custodians, and guides".

Other reading:

Pope Benedict as the then Cardinal Ratizinger commented on this. For instance see Theological Locus of Ecclesial Movements-Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger

Catholic Online had a article a few days ago Cardinal: New Ecclesial Movements God's Answer

John Paul the Great's Seminal Speech for Pentecost 1998: "Providential Rediscovery" and on that same blog as to this week Papal Priority: "Do Not Snuff Out the Charisms" ( I am adding this blog to the links)

As I stated above there is tension. However I have seen some Parishes handle this well and then some it was a disaster.

In any event we American Catholics better do a better job of integrating all this in the life of the Church. These new wave of immigration we are getting south of the border is very much seen in a lot of these groups. In fact one family( The Pequeños) that from Houston went to the Papal Events in D.C are a part of such a group. It was a great article and yep they are fairly recent Mexico immigrant stock and is worth revisitng. Go see From Texas to East Coast, Pilgrimage to See the Pope, and ‘The Lord Wants Us Here,’ Texas Pilgrims Say of Their Trip.

Needless to say we need many more Pequeños in the United States.