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The Church Needs
Cyril John, the chairman of the National Service Committee of the CCR in India, reflects on the importance of keeping the spirit of Pentecost alive in the Church. He calls on the CCR to return to the Upper Room for a renewed time of prayer and intercession, so that the Holy Spirit might break forth again in power.
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Pope John XXIII surprised everyone
by announcing the Vatican Council II in January 1959 and officially convoking
it on 25th December 1961 with the exhortation to all faithful to pray
for a new outpouring of the Holy Spirit: “Renew Your wonders in this
our day, as by a new Pentecost.” The prayer has been answered in
a spectacular way with the gift of about fifty ecclesial renewal movements
including the Catholic Charismatic Renewal that started after the Council.
The new Pentecost in the Catholic Church was experienced in 1967 in Pittsburg, USA. The CCR worldwide is preparing to celebrate its fortieth anniversary in 2007. Let us remember that the new grace of Pentecost is not confined only to the Catholic Church, but is shared by all Christians. The new grace of Pentecost was in fact first experienced by Protestants of the Southern USA in Topeka, Kansas in 1901. The Pentecostal movement is gearing up to celebrate the hundredth anniversary of outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Azusa Street, Los Angeles in April this year (2006). The Pentecostal/Charismatic movement is the biggest ever movement of reawakening and renewal in the history of Christianity. A growth from zero to 120 million Catholic Charismatics in 235 countries in about 40 years and more than 400 million faithful in other churches and Christian communities in 100 years is something remarkable. With 12% of Catholics and about 28% of all Christians as part of it, there has never been a movement that has impacted so deeply the lives of so many Christians in so short a span of time. Renewal movements for the whole Church Renewal movements initiated by the Holy Spirit in the Church are meant for renewal of the whole Church. For instance, the Monastic movement that started in the fourth century helped all the people of God to grow into deeper spiritual life. The Dominican and Franciscan movements refreshed the thirteenth century Church to rededicate itself to live the values of the Gospel in simplicity and deep personal union with God. The Liturgical Movement that started later helped the Second Vatican Council to usher in liturgical renewal in the whole Church, especially to bring the Holy Mass to the faithful. It is to be noted that after renewing the Church, these renewal movements ceased to be separate entities and got integrated into the whole Church for the benefit of believers. Therefore, the Charismatic Renewal started by the Holy Spirit in the Church about 40 years ago also is “like yeast that a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour until all of it was leavened” (Lk 13:21). To what extent has the Renewal succeeded to be leaven to the whole Church? Commenting on this, Fr Raniero Cantalamessa, Papal Preacher, theologian and charismatic leader, pointed out: “It is with infinite sadness that I see that the Charismatic Renewal has ended up confined to one part of the Church only, and regarded by the rest as something alien that they feel fully justified in keeping well clear of it.” Has the Catholic Charismatic Renewal peaked? These days the question keeps coming up: has the CCR peaked, in the sense that its numbers and its effect on the Church at large have gradually decreased over the past few years? It is difficult to provide a definite answer. One can find strong regions, prayer groups, centres, ministries, communities and initiatives which continue to prosper in many countries. In spite of this, Cardinal Leon J. Suenens, who was appointed as first Episcopal Advisor of the CCR worldwide by Pope Paul VI, had this to say about the impact of the Renewal in the Church: “With the passing of time the phrase of Paul VI on the Renewal as ‘good fortune for the Church’ still remains a wish only partially fulfilled, because this grace was not grasped at every level of the Church or taken to its heart. To interpret the Renewal as a ‘movement’ among other movements is to misunderstand its nature; it is a movement of the Spirit offered to the entire Church and destined to rejuvenate every facet of the Church’s life. The soul of the Renewal – Baptism in the Spirit – is a grace of Pentecostal refreshment offered to all Christians.” It is a matter of great concern that ‘a grace’ that was meant for all Catholics has been confined only to 12% of the faithful. Does the Catholic Charismatic Renewal itself need renewing? The Church was born in the power of the Holy Spirit. Someone pointed out that if the Holy Spirit was taken out of the life and mission of the first Christian community, about ninety five percent of all that they did would have ceased forthwith. The Holy Spirit was the sole motivating agent for them. “And day by day the Lord added to their number those who were being saved”(Acts 2:47). The advent of the CCR was intended to stir up and revitalize the work of the Holy Spirit and His charisms in the Church. The question is: Is the CCR itself fully animated by the power of the Holy Spirit poured out through the new Pentecost? To what extent has it helped in carrying on the life and mission of the Church in the power of the Holy Spirit? Is another Pentecost needed in order to accomplish this mission? Continual Pentecost needed At the end of the 19th century, Blessed Elena Guerra, founder of the Oblate Sisters of the Holy Spirit called upon the Church continually to come back to the Cenacle, the Upper Room: “Pentecost is not over. In fact it is continually going on in every time and in every place, because the Holy Spirit desired to give Himself to all men and all who want Him can always receive Him, so we do not have to envy the Apostles and the first believers; we only have to dispose ourselves like them to receive Him well, and He will come to us as He did to them.” The Pentecost that took place 2000 years ago was not ‘the full and final’ outpouring of the Holy Spirit. In the 20th century itself there were three distinct outpourings of the Holy Spirit among Christians, each wave more powerful than the previous one. The first wave in 1906 influenced about 65 million Classical Pentecostals. The second outpouring of the Holy Spirit among 175 million Neo-Pentecostals started in 1950 and included the experience of “Weekend in Duquesne”, Pittsburg in 1967 among Catholics. The third wave was in 1981 experienced by 295 million Neo-Charismatics scattered in various independent denominations. This shows Pentecost is an ongoing experience and we should start praying fervently and look forward expectantly for a new Pentecost! More than ever, the Church and the world need the miracle of Pentecost to be continued in history Pope Paul VI called for eternal Pentecost merely five years after the Catholic Pentecostal movement had started. During the General Audience on November 29, 1972 the Pope stated: “More than once we have asked ourselves what the greatest needs of the Church are,…what is the primary and ultimate need of our beloved and holy Church?” His own answer turned out to be a very prophetic exhortation: “We must say it with holy fear because, as you know, this concerns the mystery of the Church, her life: This need is the Spirit,…the Church needs her eternal Pentecost; she needs fire in her heart, words on her lips, a glance that is prophetic.” The Holy Father again made this exhortation in an article in L’Osservatore Romano: “More than ever, the Church and the world need the miracle of Pentecost to be continued in history.” Pentecost novena The mighty outpouring of the Holy Spirit in the twentieth century was an outcome of the renewed devotion to the Holy Spirit which was introduced in the Church towards the end of the nineteenth century. In the Apostolic Letter, Provida Matris Caritate in 1895 and the Encyclical letter on the Holy Spirit, Divinum Illud Munus in 1897, Pope Leo XIII exhorted the faithful to celebrate a solemn Novena (of nine days) to the Holy Spirit, year after year, between the feasts of Ascension and Pentecost. Once again in recent years in many countries in Europe, groups and National Service Committees have started promoting Pentecost Novenas to the Holy Spirit. The “Burning Bush” Pentecost Novena – an initiative to help the people of God to return to the Upper Room in adoration and intercession and promoted by Kim Catherine-Marie Kollins, is also becoming very popular in different parts of the world. As a preparation for the fortieth anniversary of the CCR, the National Service Committee of Brazil has brought out a project for the revival of the spirituality of Pentecost called, “Celebrating Pentecost” which includes a Novena to the Holy Spirit. I too have been sensing a considerable burden that the Holy Spirit is calling all of us in my own country, India, and the whole Church to return anew to the Upper Room in prayer and expectation for a new Pentecost! The Church is the bride of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the bride has every right to look forward expectantly for the Bridegroom. Without the Bridegroom, she will look like a widow who is unable to live her life in its fullness. When Pope Paul VI spoke at the official launch of Cardinal Suenen’s book, A New Pentecost, he departed from his prepared text to add these words: “How wonderful it would be if the Lord would again pour out the charisms in increased abundance, in order to make the Church fruitful, beautiful and marvelous and to enable it to win the attention and astonishment of the profane and secularized world.” May the words of Pope Paul VI inspire and press us into action: “the Church needs her eternal Pentecost; she needs fire in her heart, words on her lips, a glance that is prophetic”!
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