Ecclesial Movements & New Communities are unique gift of the Lord, says Pope
(Oct.31, 2008):- “The Ecclesial Movements and New Communities are a unique gift of
the Lord and a valuable resource for the life of the Church. They must be accepted
with confidence and put to good use in joint service,” Pope Benedict XVI said on Friday
to the participants of the 13th Int. Conference of the Catholic Fraternity
of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowship. The theme of the Conference
was -“We preach Christ crucified, power and wisdom of God”. Thanking all the
participants for the service rendered, the Pope noted the great interest in their
current thinking on the centrality of Christ in preaching, as well as the importance
of Charisma in the life of the Church with reference to Pauline theology and the
New Testament. He said what we learn in the New Testament of gifts, which appeared
as visible signs of the coming of the Holy Spirit, is not a historic event of the
past but a reality that is always living; it is the same Divine Spirit, the soul of
the Church and her mysterious and effective interventions occur in our time in
a providential manner. The Pope noted that the Second Vatican Council and later
the Catechism of the Catholic Church stressed the value and importance of the new
charisms in the Church. “Since we have a promising flowering of Movements and ecclesial
communities, it is important”, the Pope said “that dialogue is intensified between
the pastors and church movements at all levels – in parishes dioceses and the Apostolic
See”. Pope Benedict concluded saying that a proposal has been put forward to establish
a permanent training center for members and leaders of the Charismatic Community in
Rome. This will enable them, the Pope added to better exploit it’s mission geared
to evangelization, the liturgy, the family, young people and vocation, and also keep
them in close contact with the Pontifical Council for the Laity.