As a young married couple, we participated wholeheartedly in this Renewal through the 1970s. At the end of that decade our prayer group (of People of Hope in Christ the King Parish, Jersey City) disbanded and we returned to normal parish life. Coincidentally, at the exact same time, this movement which had spread like wildfire across our nation in that decade, suddenly diminished greatly around 1980. Large conferences shrank in size; most prayer meetings disappeared. What happened?
My Itinerary
In 1980 I brought and for 45 years have maintained an underlying Pentecostal zeal to a now-normal-quiet Catholic life, as the charismatic dimension became subdued, anonymous, covert. Rarely did I join in public charismatic praise, in tongues, with others. But I retained that prayer gift for occasional gushes of private praise. More practically, I found it immensely helpful to surrender to quiet tongues when faced with a difficult, stressful decision. I found that in conflict and chaos, I could quietly detach, move my tongue undetected in praise, focus on God, and wait peacefully for help from above. What happened was that as I prayed my anxiety diminished; the problem receded from prominence in focus; I relaxed in trust; and my thinking became clear, calm, sober and attentive, unclouded by anxiety. The next step forward became obvious. This, I firmly believe, in the Holy Spirit. In other words, I retained a calm, confident sense of the ever-present guiding presence of the Holy Spirit, without the unusual manifestations.
It appears to me that my path is typical across the Church, at least in my world. The charismatic dimension remained but in modest, quiet, anonymous mode.
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a miraculous, dense, global, profound and mysterious reality. It is like a good movie or TV series with seven or eight plots interwoven: the romantic, heroic, comedic, tragic, but always dramatic. Several developments are clear.
1. Act of God. This is a powerful act of God, drawing us to Himself. If we include Pentecostal denominationalism (first wave: 1900-60), Charismatic Renewal across the various Churches (second wave 1960-80), and the Neo-Charismatic emergence of free Churches (third wave: 1980-present) than this is a monumental event. It is estimated that as many as 500 million internationally self-identify as Charismatic. Recall that this movement is intense and passionate. The breath of it dwarfs, for example, Catholic missionary efforts over the last 125 years.
2. Global South. It is far more powerful and widespread outside of the West, especially in Africa. There especially it is a fierce protagonist against militant, violent Islamism. We see here the battle of the "strong gods." It is a source of mission activity for the Church here in the USA and Europe. It is a countervailing force against the progressivism unleased by Pope Francis, notably in the "synodality" of the Germans. It is strong in Brazil, Guatemala and the Philippines. In the USA, at least in the NJ area, it seems stronger among Hispanics and Filipinos.
3. The Split: in the 1980s of Catholic Charismatics and Charismatic Catholics. Already in the heyday of the 1970s it was clear that this movement was energized by two sharply contrasting, but not absolutely contradictory dynamics: to embrace a literal, evangelical Pentecostalism in reaction to modernity viewed as Godless and to dive more deeply into classic Catholicism, renewed by Vatican II but in continuity with tradition. In the early 1980s, the two decisive leaders took different directions. Ralph Martin was in Europe with Cardinal Suenens, coordinating the global effort to incorporate the renewal into the Church. In Pope John Paul II Ralph found a kindred spirit. He aligned himself with the New Evangelism. At home in Ann Arbor, Steve Clark and the Word of God covenant community came to lead a coalition of dozens of similar groups under the umbrella Sword of the Spirit. The focus here was not primarily on Catholicism but on spiritual combat with a godless, sinful social order through a novel charismatic gestalt of elements from biblically literalist, evangelical, Pentecostal traditions. This included: primary focus on Scripture, not on sacraments; pronounced gender roles; strong, intimate relations of authority/obedience at every level; dystopian view of society; diminished trust in an institutional Church largely compromised by progressivism; and a detailed lay "rule of life" defiant of Cultural Liberalism.
We might say that Ralph became more of a Charismatic Catholic, with "Catholic" the substantive, and the "charismatic" diminished in focus. Steve, as Catholic Charismatic, retained his Catholic faith and participation in the sacramental life, but focused on an intensely evangelical life in spiritual/cultural combat with The World.
By the time Ralph returned to the USA in the mid-1980s, the Sword of the Spirit was developed, detailed, controlling, and rigorous. It contrasted sharply, not only with the secular world, but also with mainstream Catholicism. This became more than a contrast, but a contradiction in more liberal dioceses. In Steubenville Ohio the community was forced to detach from the Sword of the Spirit. In Newark, under the moderately liberal but firm handed Archbishop Peter Gerity, the People of Hope was discredited and priests forbidden for over a decade from participating in community life.
The extraordinary Martin/Clark partnership that had guided the renewal for almost two decades with extraordinary wisdom, theological vision, and zealous energy was broken in a painful divorce. They went their distinct ways, in charity and suffering. To their credit, they reconciled personally and renewed their friendship later. They represent, clearly, two directions: more Catholic or more Pentecostal.
Locally here in NJ, the People of Hope reconciled with the Archdiocese of Newark and flourishes in its good graces. It is a strong, wholesome presence. Some of my own grandchildren just spent a week at Camp Hope, an evangelical, Catholic summer experience which our family treasures greatly. I am not knowledgeable about the other communities under the Sword of the Spirit but since there is little news I assume they have found a way of living in communion with their local bishops.
4. Influence on the Broader Church. As the specifically charismatic movement diminished in the 1980s, it was clear that it had immensely influenced broader Catholicism in a myriad of ways. Praise and worship music became commonplace in parishes. Praying over each other for healing and blessings became widespread. The Evangelical/Catholic alliance in the Culture War was energized. The fiercely evangelical and more quietly charismatic pontificates of John Paul and Benedict were fervently embraced. A number of fervent, evangelical crusades came out of the renewal but downplayed the specific miraculous gifts for the sake of broader appeal. Focus and NET are two important ones.
Sociologically, the purpose of "movements" is normally temporary: to strongly assert a set of values and penetrate institutions with these, and then disappear. So, for example the liturgical and ecumenical movements flourished in the post-war period and penetrated the Church by way of the Council, after which they diminished in visibility. In that sense, one might consider that this renewal, like Cursillo and others, brought fresh Pentecostal and evangelical energies to the Church and so can properly diminish. While there is truth to this, my own view is that our world and Church remain in desperate need of the powerful if humble action of the Holy Spirit.
5. Icons of Humble Charismatic Catholicism. The primary path of the renewal within the Church after the 1980s is that of Ralph Martin: he retained the charismatic but subordinated it in relation to overall Catholic life in all its dimensions: sacramental, life of charity, fidelity to state of life {family, priesthood and religious life,) and so forth. The Pentecostal energies were directed in a modest, unpretentious manner into service and prayer. Let's consider five exemplars:
Ralph Martin himself detached from the covenant community movement and launched Renewal Ministries, a powerful evangelical ministry. He allied with EWTN. Discipled himself to John Paul. Threw himself into deep study of the classic Catholic mystics (Theresa of Avila, Catherine of Siena an many more) and developed a doctoral program in the New Evangelization at Sacred Heart Seminary in Detroit. (He was just fired from this last, abruptly, without cause, after 20 years of service, by the new progressive Archbishop.) Late in life he did a doctorate in theology at the Angelicum in Rome and wrote an important book (one of many from him) on "Who Will Be Saved" in which he challenged the widespread presumption that a merciful God cannot allow anyone to go to hell. His has been a powerful, distinctive voice in contemporary Catholicism: flawlessly orthodox with a ferocity and clarity in evangelical focus.
Father Raniero Cantalamesa is a gifted Franciscan friar who received the baptism of the Holy Spirit in NJ in the 1970s and went on to become papal preacher to three popes: John Paul, Benedict and Francis. This is startling. The papal preacher is the only priest designated to preach to the pope. He was retained by each of these quite distinctive pontiffs. At the same time he has been writing and preaching all over the world. He only recently retired. He was quite open about his Pentecostal anointing, but not in the lest exhibitionist about the gifts. He has labored quietly, fruitfully, zealously. A model for all of us.
Justice Amy Coney Barrett is highly esteemed as a jurist in a position of immense importance. In the polarized, vicious context of American politics she is a singular voice and influence. Known as a conservative, she is widely praised (in the NY Times and elsewhere) as singularly capable of transcending the ideological chasm to think freely from a multiple of lenses, with openness of mind and legal rigor. Mother of seven, including two adopted from Haiti and a Down Syndrome child, she is a fervent charismatic Catholic, member of the People of Praise covenant community in South Bend. She is open and joyous in her faith as she pursues a secular career with impeccable expertise and professionalism. She embodies Pentecostal energy pursued in quiet, lay service and expertise.
Doctor Mary Healy works closely with Ralph Martin as an accomplished theologian, held in respect even in the Vatican under Pope Francis. She is perhaps the most overtly charismatic in her zeal in healing prayer. Her unrestrained passion and fervor manifest in a most feminine, virginal, gracious, modest radiance that is at the same time appealing, inspiring and instructive.
Father John Gordon is our local exemplar: protege of the the esteemed Fr. Jim Ferry of happy memory, a flamingly charismatic Catholic, he has been laboring in the Newark chancery for many years in the office of evangelization. He assists the Archbishop in all areas of evangelization and service. He continues to minister in charismatic circles, but clearly most of his life is given to the broader ministries of the institutional Church.
Conclusion
Classically in Catholic spirituality the soul is seen to progress through three stages: illuminative, purgative and unitive. The illuminative is typically the first and is a time of joy in God's love. This is followed by the purgative, a period of trial, suffering, purification, humbling. Eventually, the goal is union with God in a deeper Joy that swallows up all forms of death, sorrow and sin. These are not absolutely sequential as they can interweave each other simultaneously in mysterious manners.
Seen through this lens, the Renewal of 1967-82 was one of pure illumination: joy, zeal, manifestations, ecstasy, an explosive energy. Since then, we have enjoyed the glorious double pontificate of John Paul/Benedict but also purgation at many levels. The movement diminished and fragmented in different ways, including the split in the Martin/Clark friendship. We have faced scandal after scandal involving sexual misconduct, abuse of authority, greed, and more. Most of us have felt called to apply ourselves to the inglorious, mundane, monotonous and humbling service where we are assigned.
It is our task to receive the joys, trials, failures and triumphs in humble trust, joy and praise. I for one long for the joys of illumination, not only for myself but for so many afflicted souls. But our focus is not on these joys nor on the transient sufferings, but on our destiny: union eternally with the Triune God.
Let us thank God for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal; for the various Pentecostal waves around the globe; for the permanence and stability of the Catholic Church; for the inspiring witness of Martin, Cantalamesa, Godon, Healy, Barrett and so many others.
Let us invoke:
Come Holy Spirit!
Come with all your gifts. Strengthen us in our sufferings and struggles.
Bring us to Jesus and our heavenly Father, now and forever!
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