Charismatic Leaders Fellowship 2019
But behind the scene there is a more complex story. Pope Francis, when a pastor and Bishop in Argentina, observed Catholic charismatic and other charismatic groups and greatly admired their evangelical zeal and faith. When he became Pope he was disgusted with the rivalry and turf wars between different Catholic charismatic agencies, and was determined to stop that. Thus, CHARIS was created. What is astounding, exciting, and indeed revolutionary, is that the Pope intends to make the entire Catholic Church charismatic. He is pushing for “life in the Spirit’ programs in all dioceses and parishes and encouraging the broadening of the renewal in every way. WOW! If Pope Francis can pull it off, and of course there is resistance to this, it would be a monumental advance of Spirit-filled churches in the world. The sputtering American Catholic Renewal, which was strong in the 1970’s, would come to life again.
PR
Notes
[1]Derek Prince, Pride Versus Humility (New Kensington: Whitaker House, 2016).
[2]Timothy Cremeens, Marginalized Voices: A History of the Charismatic Movement in the Orthodox Church in North America, 1972-1993 (Eugene: Pickwick, 2018)
[3] Mark Kinzer, Jerusalem Crucified, Jerusalem Risen: The Resurrected Messiah, the Jewish People, and the Land of Promise (Eugene: Cascade Books, 2018).
[4] Don Swenson, Alleluia!: The Return of the Prototype (New Life Publishing: 2018).
[5] William De Arteaga, The Public Prayer Station: Taking Healing to the Streets and Evangelizing the Nones, (Lexington: Emeth Press, 2018). [Editor’s note: Read Catherine Miller’s review]
[6] Brazil’s Catholics oppressed and marginalized Evangelicals for much of the 20th Century, but were not as bad as the Colombians, where Evangelicals in rural areas are still harassed. Across the ocean, in Spain, when Franco’s troops regained territory from the Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1937) they gathered up all communists, anarchists and socialists and shot them. They did the same to Protestants!
[7] This is demonstrated most dramatically in history of Northern Ireland. The fighting and atrocities (“the troubles”) were carried out by both Protestant and Catholic lukewarm believers who used their religion as an identity point. The push for peace and reconciliation came from dedicated Christians, especially charismatic Christians, from both sides.
[8]Dale Coulter, “Pentecostal Thoughts on Pope Francis,” First Things Posted 12/5/13. https://www.firstthings.com/blogs/firstthoughts/2013/12/pentecostal-thoughts-on-francis-and-the-gospel-of-joy
Category: Ministry, Winter 2019
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