Pope wants Charismatics to dialogue with Evangelicals and Pentecostals

Charis, a new body created by the Vatican, will replace two existing international structures of the Charismatic Renewal

Father Etienne Vetö, a priest from the Chemin Neuf (New Path) Community in August 2015. (Photo by Corinne Simon/Ciric)

The Vatican recently announced the creation of Charis, a new body intended to serve the needs of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.

Marie Malzac for La Croix discusses the initiative with Father Etienne Vetö from the Chemin Neuf (New Path) community.

Father Vetö has just been appointed to the International Communion Service to assist in the tasks of the new body.

Following is the interview:

La Croix: What will the new Charis structure replace?

Father Étienne Vetö: The new Charis structure will substitute for two structures, i.e. the International Service of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (ICCRS) and the Catholic Fraternity of the Charismatic Communities and Associations of the Alliance.

In reaching this decision, the pope has unified the two bodies involved in promoting (charismatic) communion so as to bring under the same umbrella all those who share this way of living the faith according to the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

However, he also emphasized the importance of ecumenism for the renewal community in general.

In the past, this dimension was not recognized to the same extent by all components of the renewal. Now, Francis has called on Charis to make it a point of focus and one of its primary missions.

Why did the pope decide to establish a new and unique international service designed for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal?

The pope has certainly listened to the requests of the principal leaders of the various communities and prayer groups. The idea emerged during the 50th anniversary celebration of the Charismatic Renewal, which took place in Rome with Pope Francis.

It is also important to note that he has been familiar with the renewal from the inside since he was archbishop of Buenos Aires.

In addition to the communion objective and the emphasis on ecumenism, the creation of Charis will also rectify a tendency that has developed in several countries to turn the renewal into an institution that could be assimilated into a movement.

But the Charismatic Renewal is a "current of grace" in the Catholic Church and it has also helped revitalize per-existing communities and had an impact in many parishes.

So what will the purpose of Charis be?

The role of the new body will not be to coordinate it as a movement or to exercise jurisdiction over it but to be at the service of communities and prayer groups, respecting their diversity and particular charisms.

This involves providing formation for leaders as well ensuring that the resources of various groups are better understood by all.

Lastly, Charis will help people and realities to make contact with each other.

Moreover, if the pope has insisted on establishing Charis, it is also with a view to promoting dialogue with Evangelical and Pentecostal groups.

The pope is aware that this current is growing and believes that Catholics need to take account of this.

When evangelicals learn of a living experience of a meeting with Christ, then barriers begin to crumble. Ecumenism is not dead. On the contrary, it is moving ahead on our side.

Charis' primary mission will continue to be to support and encourage this way of living out the faith, which is based on the experience of an effusion of the Holy Spirit and translated by the process of "baptism in the Holy Spirit," namely the personal welcome of the presence and action of the gifts of the Holy Spirit.