Pope Francis: ‘Holy Spirit shows
path to true Christian unity’
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| Pope Francis speaks at the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity. (Vatican Media) |
Speaking to members of the Pontifical Council for Christian
Unity on Friday, Pope Francis says the Church has much to learn from discerning
the Holy Spirit’s presence in charismatic communities.
By Devin Watkins
Pope Francis spoke Friday to participants in the Plenary Assembly
of the Pontifical Council for Christian Unity, inviting the Catholic Church to
discern the Holy Spirit’s presence in charismatic movements.
The theme for the Plenary Assembly was “Pentecostals,
Charismatics, and Evangelicals: Impact on the Concept of Unity”.
Pope Francis said the growth of these communities is “an
important phenomenon, which cannot be overlooked.” He said, “We have the duty
to discern and recognize the presence of the Holy Spirit in these communities,
seeking to build bonds of authentic solidarity with them.”
He said this requires us to create opportunities for
encounter and to overcome mutual feelings of diffidence, which, he said, are
often caused by ignorance or a lack of understanding.
Pope Francis then shared a “mea culpa” anecdote from
his time as Provincial Superior of the Jesuits in Argentina. The Pope said he
had prohibited Jesuits in the country from engaging in dialogue with these
communities, and admitted to saying they were a type of “samba school” rather
than prayer meetings. Later, he asked forgiveness, and said that, as archbishop
of Buenos Aires, he had a good relationship with them.
Discern richness of Holy Spirit
Pope Francis said Catholics can welcome the richness of
charismatic communities under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.
“The Church grows in fidelity to the Holy Spirit the more
she learns not to domesticate Him, but to welcome His fresh newness without
fear and, at the same time, with serious discernment.”
The Holy Father also listed several common activities
Catholics can engage in with Pentecostals, Charismatics, and Evangelicals.
These, he said, include: “prayer, listening to the Word of
God, service to the needy, proclamation of the Gospel, and defense of people’s
dignity and human life.”
Mutual understanding
Pope Francis said Catholics can learn to appreciate how they
“live their faith, praise God, and witness the Gospel of charity.”
At the same time, he said fraternal encounters can help
charismatic communities “to overcome prejudices about the Catholic Church and
to recognize that – in the inestimable treasure of tradition, received from the
Apostles and cared for throughout history – the Holy Spirit is not at all
extinguished or suffocated, but continues to operate efficaciously.”
Pope Francis added: “The Holy Spirit is always new.”
Mature ecumenism in Baltics
Finally, Pope Francis spoke about his experiences of
ecumenism that took place during his Apostolic Journey to the Baltics.
“This week, I had the joy of experiencing mature ecumenism
in Marian Lands: the ecumenical celebration held in Latvia’s capital; and then
the ecumenical encounter in front of Our Lady’s Gate in Vilnius. These were
moments of mature ecumenism.”
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