Is the Charismatic Movement Catholic?
Charismatism takes its origins from Protestant Pentecostalism
in the United States and it has spread throughout the Catholic Church by
the "Baptism in the Spirit".
This spiritual baptism is an innovation which the Charismatic renewal attempts to justify by claiming that with the sacraments the Catholic Church has not fulfilled all the abundance of the Gospels: "The over flowing and abundance of the New Testament should not be hastily assimilated to subsequent sacramental forms" (Fr Laurentin, Charismatic apologist, in his book Pentecôtisme chez les Catholiques, Beauchesne, 1975). Now, the Catholic Church alone is the custodian of the teachings of Our Lord Jesus Christ. It transmits infallibly the blessings of the Gospels in the only true Sacraments. "My God, I firmly believe all the Truths which You have revealed to us and which You have taught us through Your Church, because You can neither deceive nor be deceived." (Act of Faith)
Regarding the emphasis put on charisms:
1. The presence of charisms is not sufficient to prove their divine
origin:
"Not every one that saith to me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into
the kingdom of heaven: but he that doth the will of My Father who is in
heaven, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. Many will say
to Me in that day: Lord, Lord, have not we prophesied in Thy name, and
cast out devils in Thy name, and done many miracles in Thy name?
And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, you
that work iniquity." (Matt. VII: 21-23)
"There are people whom the devil does not prevent in any way
from doing much good because the good which they do serves him to deceive
them." (Fr. Lallemant, La Doctrine Spirituelle, Paris, 1882, p. 253)
2. The Catholic Church is built on the supernatural virtues of
Faith, Hope and Charity and not on charisms which are only lower gifts
which must be controlled by the Church.
"But be zealous of the better gifts. And I show unto you
yet a more excellent way." (I Cor. XII :31)
"Certain people value above all amongst the spiritual gifts, that
of performing miracles, which are to be seen, forgetting that there are
many others higher, which are hidden and because of that not liable to
fall." (St. John Climacus, Scala Paradisi, 26th degree, 78)
"In comparison with Charity which is perfect, these gifts are
of little consequence and those who are at that level can fall while those
who have Charity do not fall. I tell you that I have seen men who
have received all the charisms and who have become participants in the
Spirit and who nonetheless fell because they did not achieve perfect Charity".
(St. Macarius Magnus, IVth c., Spiritual Homilies, II, 27, 14)
Regarding its search of extraordinary signs and wonders:
1. Risk of illusion:
"And I greatly fear what is happening in these times of ours:
If any soul whatever after a bit of meditation has in its recollection
one of these locutions, it will immediately baptize all as coming from
God and with such a supposition say, 'God told me,' 'God answered me.'
Yet this is not so, but, as we pointed out, these persons themselves are
more often the origin of their locution." (St. John of the Cross:
The Ascent of Mount Carmel. Book II Ch. 29) (1)
2. Possession by the devil:
"Through the desire of accepting them one opens the door to the devil. The devil can then deceive one by other communications expertly feigned and disguised as genuine. In the words of the Apostle, he can transform himself into an 'angel of light' (II Cor. XI:14). (...) Regardless of the cause of these apprehensions, it is always good for a man to reject them with closed eyes. If he fails to do so, he will make room for those having a diabolical origin and empower the devil to impose his communications. Not only this, but the diabolical representations will multiply while those from God will gradually cease, so that eventually all will come from the devil and none at all from God. This has occurred with many incautious and uninstructed people." (St. John of the Cross: The Ascent of Mount Carmel. Book II Ch. 11) (1)
Regarding its suspicion of the Church's Hierarchy:
The Hierarchy of the Catholic Church is seen as a stifling human
institution:
"In so far as the ecclesiastical institution is constructed in
the form of a hierarchical and closed juridical structure, in so far as
it is organised, not according to the spirit of charism but by coopting
clergy monopolising the resources, the knowledge, the power and the initiative
in the Church, the Charismatic thrusts have been stifled." (Fr Laurentin,
Ibid.) Now this hierarchy derives from God Himself: "He said therefore
to them again: 'Peace be with you. As the Father hath sent Me, I
also send you.' " (John XX 21) "And I say to thee: Thou art Peter,
and upon this rock I will build My Church. And the gates of hell
shall not prevail against it." (Matth. XVI 18)
Regarding its ecumenism:
"Originating from Protestant families, I was baptised a Protestant.
Today, I know that God wants me to be a Protestant. I have gradually
felt that I must not separate myself from my Protestant Church but to bring
myself closer to it." (Testament of a young girl in the Bethany Community,
in Revue Tychique, No. 52, p.10)
"There will not be a real Judeo - Christian dialogue until the
return of the Lord, except when Christians are truly Christian and the
Jews truly Jewish." (Brother Ephraim, Founder of the Community of
the Beatitudes, in Cahiers du Renouveau, No. 64, p.13)
Now, the Catholic Church teaches infallibly: 'Outside the Church there
is no salvation'.
"The Catholic Church alone keeps the true worship. It is
the Church of Truth, the home of the Faith, the temple of God; he who does
not enter it or he who leaves it, loses all hope of life and salvation.
Do not let anyone hold a dogged view. It is a question of life and
of salvation. If one does not watch out carefully and prudently,
it is ruination and death." (Lactantius; IIIrd c., Catholic apologist.)
Conclusion:
Charismatic Renewal is therefore not Catholic.
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