One Church, Two Faiths: The Charismatic Catholic Movement
Imagine it.The church is packed with people. Dozens of hands are thrown up in worship and voices are lifted joyfully in song.There is no restraint of the open display of adoration from the congregation and people seem to be filled with an incredible passion and powerful emotion. If you were asked to take a guess, which denomination would you say this church is a member of? Naturally, many people would be under the impression that this type of worship soley belongs to certain Protestant churches. However, they would be wrong. The church that has been previously described is in fact, a Roman Catholic Church, that is a part of the Charismatic Catholic Renewal.
So, what is the renewal exactly?The Charismatic Catholic Renewal is a movement that is sweeping the Catholic church around the entire world. Instead of a traditional solem and structured Catholic mass, masses are vibrant. Displays of worship such as raising hands and informal prayer during mass, such as thanking Jesus repeatedly, are not shunned. Charismatic prayer also features prophecy and occassionally glossolalia, which is speaking in tounges.The movement itself is founded on the understanding that there are gifts or charisms that were given to each of us by the Holy Spirit that should still be practiced today. Some of these gifts include healing, wisdom, and the aforementioned gifts of prophecy and speaking in tounges. The Catholic renewal's birth is credited to a group of Catholic college students who were on retreat in Pittsburgh in 1967. It is said that the students prayed to God that they would be able to posses a renewed sense of Pentecost in their lives. Pentecost is a festival that marks the birth of the Christian church by the Holy Spirit. Penetcost means fifteith day, and that is why it is celebrated fifty days after Easter.After praying for a renewal in their faith, they gathered together in a chaple and prayed the Veni Creator Spiritus. This hymn is widley used by the church to invoke the Holy Spirit during events like, Confirmation, Holy Orders, Dedication of the church, and Pentecost. While the students were praying, others many other people joined in the worship, including other students and even teachers, All of them hoping to recieve a renewal in their faith.
Since that day in 1967, over 120 million Catholic people, in over 220 countries around the world have experienced a " refreshment of the Holy Spirit."
This quickly spreading movement not only has the support of parishoners but also of some of the top members in the hiearchy of the church. When the renewal caught the eye of Cardinal Leon Joesph Suenes of the Diocese of Malines in Brussels, he, along with 10,000 people who had experienced the movement met with Pope John the Sixth in Rome. " We are pleased to see signs of this renewal. This is a day of joy but also a day of resolve and determination to offer our sins to the Holy Spirit and to proclaim the Christian authenticity that Jesus is Lord." ( excerpt from speech that day) Also, one of the most known and most revered Popes of all time, Pope John Paul the second always remained very vocal in his support of the renewal. " Long live the charismatics!", he said in the Vatican gardens in 1981 at the International Leaders Conference.
And again in 1984 at another International Leaders Conference, " I ask the members of the Charismatic Renewal to continue to cry aloud to the world with me, ' Open the doors to the Redeemer!."
However, just because Charismatic Catholics and traditional Catholics are both members of a single denomination, that does not mean that everyone is entirley pleased with the Charismatic movement. Where there are supporters for the movement there are also nayers. The Catholics who are opposed to the Charismatic renewal firmly doubt the authenticity of those who claim to have experienced supernatural gifts. Anyone can say that they have experienced gifts from above because there is no real way of knowing.They fear that charismatics are a deviation from the solem and traditional masses that are more common within the church. Anti-renewalists suppose that the gifts being received are not all from the Holy Spirit and could be from a false spirit and also doubt the sincereity of those involved in the movement. Charisms can also be seen as a big distraction to some Catholics. It is not easy to concentrate on the prayers or the intention of the prayers being said when the person standing next to you is crying and having convulsions in the name of the Lord.
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Regardless of the side of the fence that a person sits on, the fact remains that the Charismatic Catholic movement is spreading internationally. With word of mouth and useful tools of spreading information, such as the internet, the movement continues to affect the lives of all those who encounter it.
Works Cited
A New Pentecost: The Charismatic Catholic Renewal
www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-QDOcDGDWA
www.iccrs.org
Charismatic Renewal: An authentic expression of Catholic Faith FR Raniero Cantalamessa
www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-5KirrXRQ&feature=related
Charismatic Catholic, CRD. Francis George 2008
www.youtube.com/watch?v=bPlqJVu7BCc&feature=related
Monday, April 26, 2010
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Survey Time
I've always been a fan of taking surveys. I suppose that it's mainly because I am a rather opinionated person, and I like being able to share my thoughts with people. Ironically, I hated writting my survey. I found it difficult to create questions that would be interesting to the people that I surveyed, while remain loyal to the topic that I chose.
I gave it my best shot and here's what I came up with..
There are many Catholics, at least the ones who took my survey, who would describe themselves to be modern catholics. I seriously want to assume that the people who described themselves as this were younger because I think that an older catholic would describe themself as traditional.It also seems like people were open to the charismatic catholic renewal-Many said that they would encourage others to join in the renewal.
I can't say that I found anything truly dissapointing about my survey, but if I could go back and edit my questions.. I think that I would've tried to make them more informative and more interesting. There are a lot of Christians who aren't even aware of what the charismatic movement is, and if they do, it doesn't mean that they fully understand what the movement reprsents.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Behind religion, there are many conflicts that follow. With different religions, come different perspectives and opposing viewpoints as a result of the religions being different. However, opposites in opinions are not limited to different religions alone, many times it is within one's one religion. This is why I decided to conduct research on the Roman Catholic Church and the Charismatic Catholic Renewal. I wanted to know what catholics thought about the movement,what the movement itself was really about, and what this movement could mean for the Catholic Church.
For my interview, I decided to probe the mind of a devout catholic woman, who also happens to be my aunt-Marilyn Webb.Marilyn is in her early thirties, a wife and mother of 3 young girls, an active member of parish council, and has attended a charismatic catholic prayer meeting.
Growing up with a Filipino Catholic mother and African American father who showed no real acceptence of religion, Webb attended mass regularly throughout her childhood and adolesence.Like other young catholics she made her first communion, gave her first confession as a young child, and made her confirmation at 13.She always knew about being a catholic but she had not yet become aware of what charismatic catholisim was.
Frowning, she told me that it was only during her college years that Webb says she ' like most young adults had strayed a bit from the path of the Lord ' and started to experiment with other denominations of the Christian faith. She wanted to see what other types of faiths were out in the world, but she still had a very deep passion for the religion.She attended services with her then future husband's Baptist family, and experienced a very different type of worship than the quiet traditional masses of the church she was born into.
A few short years later, she returned to the catholic faith with a renewed fervor for love of the Lord. She became returned to the church that she " grew up in" and became a member of parish council. As a member of the council, and a member of the church who is respected and well loved in the church, the issue of the charismatic catholic is very important to Webb. She is a supporter of the movement and says that she has personally experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit in her life and believes that God has indeed given each of us gifts.
I wondered if it was her experience of being in Baptist churches that allowed her tolerance of a different way of worship, and she says that it was exactly that. Se felt that it was looking into the other faith that helped to strengthen her own faith. She told me of an instance in her life when God allowed her to speak in tounges, and that she has seen others do it as well. Webb informs me that the reasons that catholics tend to reject the charismatic catholic renewal is because they don't wish to stray away from the traditional masses. Traditional catholics see it as taking away from the mass, or being a distraction, if someone suddently catches the Holy Spirit during mass. There are also catholics who are very skeptical about the renewal and they believe that it might be taking away from the importance of the mass and even the meaning of the mass itself.
For my interview, I decided to probe the mind of a devout catholic woman, who also happens to be my aunt-Marilyn Webb.Marilyn is in her early thirties, a wife and mother of 3 young girls, an active member of parish council, and has attended a charismatic catholic prayer meeting.
Growing up with a Filipino Catholic mother and African American father who showed no real acceptence of religion, Webb attended mass regularly throughout her childhood and adolesence.Like other young catholics she made her first communion, gave her first confession as a young child, and made her confirmation at 13.She always knew about being a catholic but she had not yet become aware of what charismatic catholisim was.
Frowning, she told me that it was only during her college years that Webb says she ' like most young adults had strayed a bit from the path of the Lord ' and started to experiment with other denominations of the Christian faith. She wanted to see what other types of faiths were out in the world, but she still had a very deep passion for the religion.She attended services with her then future husband's Baptist family, and experienced a very different type of worship than the quiet traditional masses of the church she was born into.
A few short years later, she returned to the catholic faith with a renewed fervor for love of the Lord. She became returned to the church that she " grew up in" and became a member of parish council. As a member of the council, and a member of the church who is respected and well loved in the church, the issue of the charismatic catholic is very important to Webb. She is a supporter of the movement and says that she has personally experienced the presence of the Holy Spirit in her life and believes that God has indeed given each of us gifts.
I wondered if it was her experience of being in Baptist churches that allowed her tolerance of a different way of worship, and she says that it was exactly that. Se felt that it was looking into the other faith that helped to strengthen her own faith. She told me of an instance in her life when God allowed her to speak in tounges, and that she has seen others do it as well. Webb informs me that the reasons that catholics tend to reject the charismatic catholic renewal is because they don't wish to stray away from the traditional masses. Traditional catholics see it as taking away from the mass, or being a distraction, if someone suddently catches the Holy Spirit during mass. There are also catholics who are very skeptical about the renewal and they believe that it might be taking away from the importance of the mass and even the meaning of the mass itself.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Snap! Snap! Snaaap!: Interview Photos
Believed by Catholics to be a powerful instrument of prayer,many meditate in prayer through their rosaries during times of great distress, such as making decisions about charismatic catholism.
A snapshot of the church-now in its 65th year of ministry.The church is home to many catholics who share either mixed feelings about charismatic catholics, resistence to the movement, or acceptence of charismatic catholics.
Marilyn Webb, a leading council member of Holy Family Catholic Church, gives a soft smile for the camera during the interview.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Reading Response: PART DEUCE
The essay that I chose to review was my argumentaive essay on caging wild animals. Honestly, I tried to anticipate as many objections to my postion against caging the animals as possible, I now believe that my argument could have been much stronger.Not once did I attribute my objections to anyone, and I could have used greater detail with less refutable facts. I wish I would have read the naysayer chapter before I began my essay because, not only would my points have been stronger and with more substance, but my position would have been clear to my audience and to myself.
Reading Response: NUMERO DOS
Chapter six:
But is my proposal realistic? What are the chances of its actually being adopted?Supporters of the American drug war will argue that declaring an end to the war is only the beginning of more drug problems.They will say that immediatley decriminalizing marajuana is unrealistic.Drug supporters will question public policies that are based soley on "common sense", and wonder how a country that's based on moral righteousness could choose to ignore it.They could propose that congress appointing independent groups to study harm-reduction policies in foreign countries is a waste of tax payer's money, because the project would be ineffective anyway.Perhaps they will even go as far as saying that adopting a more compassionate approach on drugs will make the already impressionable american youth believe that drugs in this country are tolerated, or even accepted.
Although I grant that my proposal may appear little more than a dream, I still maintain my position.i stand firmly grounded in reality.We need to end the war on drugs and stop pretending that it's progressing. Honestly, drugs can never be stopped.It's a billion, if no more, dollar industry that indirectly employs thousands of people in America.Think about it-Social workers, doctors, cops,and probation officers..Would they be in high demand without drugs?Drugs need to be dealt with in an intelligent fashion.Let's do what we can to deal with them, but don't pretend they can be wiped from the face of the earth.
But is my proposal realistic? What are the chances of its actually being adopted?Supporters of the American drug war will argue that declaring an end to the war is only the beginning of more drug problems.They will say that immediatley decriminalizing marajuana is unrealistic.Drug supporters will question public policies that are based soley on "common sense", and wonder how a country that's based on moral righteousness could choose to ignore it.They could propose that congress appointing independent groups to study harm-reduction policies in foreign countries is a waste of tax payer's money, because the project would be ineffective anyway.Perhaps they will even go as far as saying that adopting a more compassionate approach on drugs will make the already impressionable american youth believe that drugs in this country are tolerated, or even accepted.
Although I grant that my proposal may appear little more than a dream, I still maintain my position.i stand firmly grounded in reality.We need to end the war on drugs and stop pretending that it's progressing. Honestly, drugs can never be stopped.It's a billion, if no more, dollar industry that indirectly employs thousands of people in America.Think about it-Social workers, doctors, cops,and probation officers..Would they be in high demand without drugs?Drugs need to be dealt with in an intelligent fashion.Let's do what we can to deal with them, but don't pretend they can be wiped from the face of the earth.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
It has been long thought that there was a significant connection bewteen language and the human mind. A plethora of educated professionals have attempted to take a shot at the theory, but few can provide substantial proof to support their hypotheses.In the article, " Language and Thought", by Lila Gleitman and Anna Papafragou, the authors explore the idea that language and thought are not only necessary, but imparitive to each other. They introduce the question of whether our thoughts actually take place within language, and also question openly if formal aspects of language aid in the organization of its users thought processes. The authors use citation from well known individuals, such as Hellen Keller, to add a sense of validity between the connection of languages and thoughts. There is also a biblical reference included in the text for imagery.They explore opposing views to their query and present enough evidence to allow the reader to try and do some critical thiniking about the subject on their own.
Similarly, in her article, " Language may shape human thought", Celeste Biever refers to a counting study involving a hunter-gathering tribe from the country of Brazil- The Piraha. She suggests that the tribe's lack of a numerical system exceeding the number two in their language is the reason for the lack of understanding for all numbers greater than two. If an idea or word is not represented in a particular language, how then is a user of that language able to grasp the concept of the meaning? Is it or is not possible? These are the questions presented in Biever's article. Like many quality articles, Biever utilizes direct quotation, from scientists at esteemed universities. However, the questions still seem to remain unanswered and the debate of whether language actually shapes human thought remains open.
William J. Cromie takes a slightly different approach of the topic in his article, " Which comes first, language or thought?". While the other articles briefly examine the relationship that infants have with the brain and language, Cromie has a greater emphasis on that relationship. He evaluates the ability of the child of an english speaking couple to be sensitive to korean language distinctions.Like Biever, he refers to research and quotes from a respected source, a proffesor Spelke of Harvard University. He discovers that the professor's study is parallel with other studies done with infants, and that, in fact, babies hold a sensitivity for all languages upon birth. The sensitivity drops as the child becomes older and learns to ignore the language sensitivity that is not relevent to them. His article also explains that people are born with some universal ideas, but it is not understood whether or not language helps to express pre-exsisting ideas.
Finally, in Sharon Begley's, " What's in a word?",the meanings of the french and german words for bridge is compared. Begley explores the role that gender related words play in languages, and how they cause people to have opposing ideas about, what could be, the very same thing. Begley also uses, experiements, quotes, and other research to give her article the authenticity that is needed.
Similarly, in her article, " Language may shape human thought", Celeste Biever refers to a counting study involving a hunter-gathering tribe from the country of Brazil- The Piraha. She suggests that the tribe's lack of a numerical system exceeding the number two in their language is the reason for the lack of understanding for all numbers greater than two. If an idea or word is not represented in a particular language, how then is a user of that language able to grasp the concept of the meaning? Is it or is not possible? These are the questions presented in Biever's article. Like many quality articles, Biever utilizes direct quotation, from scientists at esteemed universities. However, the questions still seem to remain unanswered and the debate of whether language actually shapes human thought remains open.
William J. Cromie takes a slightly different approach of the topic in his article, " Which comes first, language or thought?". While the other articles briefly examine the relationship that infants have with the brain and language, Cromie has a greater emphasis on that relationship. He evaluates the ability of the child of an english speaking couple to be sensitive to korean language distinctions.Like Biever, he refers to research and quotes from a respected source, a proffesor Spelke of Harvard University. He discovers that the professor's study is parallel with other studies done with infants, and that, in fact, babies hold a sensitivity for all languages upon birth. The sensitivity drops as the child becomes older and learns to ignore the language sensitivity that is not relevent to them. His article also explains that people are born with some universal ideas, but it is not understood whether or not language helps to express pre-exsisting ideas.
Finally, in Sharon Begley's, " What's in a word?",the meanings of the french and german words for bridge is compared. Begley explores the role that gender related words play in languages, and how they cause people to have opposing ideas about, what could be, the very same thing. Begley also uses, experiements, quotes, and other research to give her article the authenticity that is needed.
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