FABC
Paper No. 92h
Seventh Plenary Assembly: Workshop Discussion
Guide
The Charismatic Movements
And Small Church Communities
By
Antonio B. De Los Reyes
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This discussion guide has been prepared for the workshops
of the Seventh Plenary Assembly of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences,
convening January 3-12, 2000, at "BAAN PHU WAAN," the pastoral formation
center of the Archdiocese of Bangkok, Samphran, Thailand. The theme
of the Plenary is: "A Renewed Church in Asia: A Mission of Love and Service."
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I.
Vision: Christ In Every Human Environment
At the close of the
Second Millennium of Christian history, the stewards of the heritage of
Christ would do well to ask themselves a challenging question: Have we
faithfully responded to Jesus' vision and command to "Go, make disciples
of all nations ... baptize them ... (and) teach them"? With that formidable
mandate, Jesus offered the inexorable promise of his presence ("I will
be with you always, until the end of the world"(Matt 28:20), and his power
("You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes down on you" (Acts
1:8).
In the first millennium,
when authentic evangelical zeal fueled the early apostolic outreaches,
the mission ad gentes depended largely on the heroic initiatives
of a few. The Gospel of Christ was embraced and stewarded by ordained pastors,
even as Christianity, then called "The Way," was yet only an emerging and
persecuted movement. The presence of Christ was strong in the small communities
enlivened by the Spirit at Pentecost. The witness of the early martyrs,
whose blood was the "seed of the Church," inspired the conversion of the
Emperor Constantine in 314 AD.
However, the proclamation
of Christianity as the state religion divested the faith of the need for
a radical inward conversion in its entrants. Nominalism carved out the
very core of Christianity. As the faith was received by the ruling classes,
its influence permeated the structures of civil governance. The Spirit
moved the faith's true adherents to respond by creating small communities
set apart from the mainstream of an institutionalized religion -- in the
wilderness of desert and mountain.
The Spirit raised
Saint Augustine and the Fathers of the Church to uphold the principles
and truth of the faith. The religious orders emerged and preserved the
threatened life of Christianity; the Holy Scriptures were treasured in
the monasteries, diligently replicated for preachers of the Word.
In Europe, Charlemagne
fused Cross and Crown into a unified force, and evolved the phenomenon
of "Christendom." The expressions of evangelization become fraught with
violence and oppression. At the cost of spilt blood, the Crusades recovered
relics, treasures and land from Islam and Judaism; the Inquisition purged
the faith of heresy and apostasy. The Holy Roman Empire disintegrated,
as the Church waged warfare within herself. The Papacy was scrutinized
and challenged, wavered for a long while, and settled in the hands of the
Roman Church.
But the face of Christianity
had radically changed - from a crucified to a conquering Christ. One wonders
if this dogmatic militarism is the spirit in which Jesus fortified the
hearts of his disciple: "You will suffer in the world. But take courage!
I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). The community of disciples was
no longer a Church under siege; it had risen to become the heart of the
Establishment.
In the second millennium,
much of the spread of the mission ad gentes was linked with explorations
for treasure and territory. The Cross journeyed with the Sword in imperial
voyages for commerce and conquest. The peoples of the New World were converted
to Catholicism under pain of death or imprisonment. Although colonized
natives were hastily baptized into the faith, centuries passed before indigenous
clergy were accepted for priestly ordination. Schism within the Church
dismantled the fortress of Christendom. The Protestant Reformation raised
persons who challenged the structures that had deformed its institutional
face, among them Martin Luther and John Knox. The stem hand of the Spirit
gripped that moment of crisis and rebuilt the ramparts of the faith through
the Council of Trent -a timely breath of the wind of Pentecost.
In the second half
of the millennium, rationalism and liberalism eroded the intelligentsia's
affinity to the faith. Humanism shook the common people's age-old loyalty
to religion. The shifting alignment of nations plunged the globe into two
world wars and brewed a frightening nuclear arms race that undergirt the
Cold War between the imperial super powers. The world uneasily tottered
to the brink of self-annihilation.
The rise of capitalism
and communism gradually broke the fragile ties between Church and State.
Both worldly philosophies bred, through their ruthless rush for industrialization,
countless millions of human ghettos buried in abject poverty, homelessness
and squalor. The insatiable consumerist hunger for raw materials meant
to feed factories of mass-consumption goods, sacked and soiled the environments
of dependent colonies. These Third World economies were lulled by their
illusions of implanted democracy, mindless of their colonizers' cornering
the markets of their products. The political rift between East and West
was exacerbated by the economic gap between the North and South.
The rifts and gaps
in the world were reflected in the Church: the rift between theologians
and pastors, and between conservatives and liberals; the gap between ordained
and lay, and between elite and masses. The Church, until contemporary times,
could not fully respond to Jesus' priestly prayer "... that they may be
one in us, that the world may believe that you sent me." (John 17:21)
In this context and
in the last half-century - 30 minutes before midnight, if two millennia
were one day - Pope John XXIII called for the Second Vatican Ecumenical
Council, and prayed for a second Pentecost - one that would renew
the structure, system and the spirit of the Church. The Council moved to
restore the Christian gospel to its original substance - a gospel of unity
in Christ among all mankind, a gospel of love and peace, a refuge for the
poor and powerless, for the persecuted and imprisoned, for the humble and
oppressed. The theme of unity in diversity wove through the fabric of the
Council; and the principle of co-responsibility guided its reflections
on the new "way" of being Church. "Dialogue" prevailed as the new thrust
in both communion and mission. Thirty years later, Pope John Paul II prophesied
the forthcoming springtime of Christianity with the coming of the new millennium
- a third wind of the Spirit that will "open wide the doors" of all humanity
to Christ.
II.
Reality: A Humanity Dispersed, Dehumanized, Disinherited
The peoples of Asia
will ethnically and demographically dominate the world of the Third Millennium.
Almost six of every ten human beings will be Asian; the population of Asia
was estimated at 3.2 billions as of 1998. (Table 1)
Except for the Philippines,
Catholics, and indeed Christians in general, form a small percentage of
the population throughout Asia. But ... the population ... and the economic
strength of Asia have both increased enormously. The population of China
grows each year by the equivalent of the population of Australia; India,
in spite of its problems and widespread poverty, already has a middle-class
equivalent to the size of the entire population of Italy. Indonesia is
now the fourth largest country in the world." (Theresa Chooi; 1995)
Yet at least two
of every six Asians will exist at marginal poverty levels, and at least
one of them will be homeless, or will live in substandard shelter.
Statistics published
by the Asian Development Bank in its "Key Indicators of Developing Asian
and Pacific Countries: 1999 Volume XXX" (attached below) suggest the
following:
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Asia is radically diverse and
scattered over a vast land area of 45 million square kilometers, in varying
topographies. While large concentrations of population converge in her
primate cities, hundreds of millions are dispersed in socially atomistic
settlements, with limited access to the mainstream of society. As of 1998,
Tokyo had the largest urban concentration (26 million); Bombay had 15 million;
Shanghai, 13.6 million; Calcutta, 12 million; and Seoul, 11.6 million.
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Population Density in
1998 varied widely in the region: 6,252 persons per square kilometer (Hong
Kong), 6,242 (Singapore), 889 (Bangladesh), 605 (Taipei), 560 (Nauru),
468 (Korea), 295 (India), 286 (Sri Lanka), 251 (Philippines), 225 (Vietnam),
175 (Pakistan), 148 (Nepal), 119 (Thailand), 107 (Indonesia), 70 (Myanmar),
67 (Malaysia) and 63 (Cambodia). (Table 2)
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While Asia's population
has increased, its composite rate of growth decreased to 1.4% annually
from 1993 to 1997 (significantly lower than the point of demographic transition,
1.9%). Of the more populous countries, only seven show an annual growth
rate higher than 1.9%: Cambodia (4.1 %); Malaysia (2.5%); Myanmar (2.5%);
Nepal (2.4%); Pakistan (2.4%); Philippines (2.3%); and Uzbekistan (2.0%).
(Table 1)
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In all countries, the number
of births per woman (Total Fertility Rate) decreased from 1980 to
1997. The largest decrease was in Micronesia (-3.3), followed by Bangladesh
(-2.9), Myanmar (2.7), Pakistan (-2.0), Nepal, India, Thailand and Samoa
(-1.7), Solomon Islands (-1.6), Indonesia (-1.5), Papua New Guinea (1.4),
Philippines (-1.2) and Malaysia (-1.0). (Table 2)
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Maternal Mortality Rates
in 1997 were high in Papua New Guinea (930 per 100,000 live Births), Cambodia
(900), Lao PDR (660), Myanmar (500), Bangladesh (449), India (437), Indonesia
(390), Bhutan (380), Pakistan (340). Still over 100 are the Philippines
(180), Thailand (155), Mongolia (145), China (115) and Vietnam (105). (Table
2)
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Infant Mortality Rates
as of 1997 were highest in Afghanistan (156 per 1,000 live births), Bhutan
(107), Cambodia (103). Other countries with high rates were: Lao PDR (98),
Pakistan (95), Nepal (93), Bangladesh (75), India (71), Kinbati (64), Papua
New Guinea (61), and Tuvalu (51). Others were below 50. (Table 2)
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Life Expectancy at Birth
in 1997 for males is highest in Hong Kong (76 years of age), Singapore
(74), Taipei (72), Sri Lanka and Cook Islands (71), Malaysia, Fiji and
Tonga (70), Korea (69), China (68), Thailand and Samoa (67), and Tajikistan
(66). (Table 2)
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The Human Development Index,
a composite measure of health, education and productivity, indicates high
levels in 1995 for Hong Kong (0.909), Singapore (0.896), Korea (0.894),
Fiji (0.869), Thailand (0.838), Malaysia (0.834), Kazakhstan (0.0.695),
Samoa (0.694), Maldives (0.683), Mongolia (0.669), Indonesia (0.679), Philippines
(0.677) and Uzbekistan (0.659). (Table 2)
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Over one-third of the population
of Asia (37%) will be under 15 years of age in 2000. Six percent (6%) will
be over 65 years. Over two-fifths of the people of Asia will be economically
dependent on the remaining 57%. (Table 3)
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In 1998, less than one-fourth
of the population of South Asia (23%) lived in cities; over one
third (37%) of South East Asia was urban. (Table 4)
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In several Asian countries,
almost one half of all economically active males worked in agriculture
in 1996. Close to one fourth were in industry, and over one-fourth in services.
(Table 5)
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In 1998, Bangladesh had the
highest incidence of poverty in Asia; 47.5% of its people lived
below the poverty line. Lao PDR had 46.1%, Nepal 42.0%, Kyrgyz 40.0%, Indonesia
39.1%, Philippines 37.5%, Cambodia 36.1%, India 36.0% and Sri Lanka 35.3%.
(Table 6)
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The extent of income inequality
in 1998, as estimated in the Gini coefficient is highest in Papua
New Guinea (0.590), Philippines (0.496), Malaysia (0.484), Thailand (0.481),
Hong Kong (0.450), Bangladesh (0.432), Fiji Islands (0.425), China (0.415),
Singapore (0.410) and Pakistan (0.400). (Table 6)
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Adult Literacy Rates
in 1995 were lowest in Nepal (40.9%), Afghanistan (47.2%), Bangladesh (49.4%),
Pakistan (50.0%), Cambodia (56.2%), India (65.5%) and Lao PDR (69.4%).
Other countries rated over 89%. (Table 7)
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The Daily Per Capita Supply
of Protein in 1996 was lowest in Solomon Islands (43 grams), Bangladesh
and Cambodia (45), Afghanistan (46), Papua New Guinea (48) and Sri Lanka
(49). Highest levels were in Hong Kong (100), Taipei and Kazakhstan (97).
(Table 8)
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Daily Per Capita Calorie
Supply in
1996 showed the lowest levels in Afghanistan (1,676 calories), Cambodia
(1,974), Mongolia (2,098), Solomon Islands (2,103), Bangladesh (2,105),
Tajikistan (2,129), Lao PDR (2,143), Papua New Guinea (2,253), Sri Lanka
(2,263), Nepal (2,339), Philippines (2,356) and India (2,415). (Table 8)
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The highest Average Annual
Rate of Deforestation from 1990 to 1995 was in the Philippines (3.5%
of forest area), Pakistan (2.9%), Thailand (2.6%), Malaysia (2.4%) and
Myanmar (1.4%). (Table 9)
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Per Capita Gross National
Product (GNP) in United States Dollars (US$) for 1997 was highest in
Singapore (32,810), Hong Kong (25,200), Taipei (12,040) and Korea (10,550).
Among the developing states, it was: US$5,434 for Cook Islands, Malaysia
(4,530), Thailand (2,740), Fiji (2,460), Micronesia (1,920), Tonga (1,810),
Marshall Islands (1,610), Kazakhstan (1,350), Vanuatu (1,340), Philippines
(1,200), and Samoa (1,140). The lowest levels were in Nepal (US$220), Cambodia
(300), Vietnam (310), Tajikistan (330) and Bangladesh (360). (Table I 1)
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As of 1996, China gained the
highest volume of Foreign (Direct) Investments, (US$44,236 Million),
or over one half of total foreign investments in Asia, followed by Singapore
(8,631), Malaysia (5,106), Indonesia (4,677), Thailand (3,745), India (3,351),
Korea (2,844), Taipei (2,248), Vietnam (1,800) and Philippines (1,222).
(Table 33)
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Total External Debt in
United States dollars was highest for China (US$146,697 Million), Korea
(143,372), Indonesia (136,173), India (94,404), Thailand (93,415), Malaysia
(47,228), Philippines (45,433), Hong Kong (36,336), Taipei (33,544), Pakistan
(29,664) and Vietnam (21,629). (Table 35)
From these indicators
and trends, some patterns are discernible which can guide concrete pastoral
initiatives:
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Harsh economic realities and
political pressures will persist in challenging the value and inviolability
of human life and dignity. The worth of human beings will be measured in
pragmatic economic terms. Human rights problems will escalate - particularly
those that refer to the dignity of women and children. The Church must
preach the Gospel of Life to the families of Asia.
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Cheap labor is still the competitive
advantage for Asia's growing numbers of workers. Yet it is also the major
obstacle to improving levels of living. Wage rates will not rise as fast
and as high as prices of even prime commodities in the region, particularly
in the urban centers, where at least one third of Asians will live. The
Church's teachings on the dignity of labor and the responsibilities of
business and commercial institutions will be invaluable in the evolution
of moral and ethical norms in industry.
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Asian governments will face
increasing difficulty in providing the minimum basic needs of their peoples.
Public programs for health and nutrition, education and housing will have
to be augmented by the private sector, including the Church.
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Poverty and hunger, arising
from inequitable distribution of income and wealth, depletion of resources,
natural calamities and decreasing purchasing power, will continue to be
the principal socioeconomic concerns, particularly in South and South East
Asia. The Church must effectively communicate the message of her principle
of preferential option for the poor.
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Existing efforts in Asian centers
to increase agricultural yield and develop supplementary livelihood opportunities
must be accelerated, to improve internal economies. It is imperative that
the purchasing power of the vast poor in Asia be increased - not only to
raise their standards of living, but also to provide adequate internal
markets for their domestic production. The Church's experience in establishing
and managing faith-based cooperatives will be a priceless resource for
Asian communities.
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The crippling weight of external
debt sustained by several Asian countries drags heavily on the pace of
their development. The American bishops reportedly issued a plea to consider
the amelioration of current external debts of Third World countries. This
is an invaluable signal for the Churches in Asia and Africa to actively
advocate a serious examination of viable means of reducing the burden of
these debts.
The empirical reality
in Asia today is disturbing, her future uncertain and contingent upon the
emergence of a sociopolitical climate affording peace and justice that
can nurture interdependent and cooperative productivity. The Church, offering
the light of the Gospel of Christ and the wisdom of her social teaching,
can be a critical force in cultivating dignity and fruitfulness where they
will yield the greatest spiritual and material value: at the grass-roots
of humanity. Asia must turn to the Church for a "new Eucharist" - a rediscovery
of the Body and Blood of Christ given in bread and wine that are no longer
of a purely spiritual essence, but of tangible form that satisfies their
physical hunger. Yet it is equally vital to inspire the faithful of Asia
that we have first to offer the Lord our "work of human hands" - our share
of solidarity and sacrifice -before the miracle of the Eucharist can be
received.
III.
Challenge: Cultivating Christian Life In Every Human Environment
Now that the faith
is no longer a common heritage but only a seed which is too often overlooked,
too often threatened by the "gods" and "lords" of this world, (the) associations
and movements have much to do to care for the seed and make it grow, that
it may bear abundant fruit - that is, to "plant" the Church in every human
environment. Cardinal Eduardo F. Pironio ("Springtime for the Gospel";
Pontifical Council for the Laity; May, 1992)
The Charismatic Movements:
"Fire From Above"
I call to mind, as a new
development occuring in many Churches in recent times, the rapid growth
of "ecclesial movements" filled with missionary dynamism. When these movements
humbly seek to become part of the life of local Churches and are welcomed
by bishops and priests within diocesan and parish structures, they represent
a true gift of God for both new evangelization and for missionary activity
properly so-called. I therefore recommend that they be spread, and that
they be used to give fresh energy, especially among young people, to the
Christian life and to evangelization, within a pluralistic view of the
ways in which Christians can associate and express themselves. Pope John
Paul II (Redemptoris Missio #72)
On May 30, 1998,
St. Peter's Square contained a joyful explosion of faith and love. Some
500,000 members of 56 ecclesial movements coming from all over the globe
gathered at the invitation of Pope John Paul II to celebrate the Christian
Feast of Pentecost. The vibrant strength of the charismatic movements resounded
in song, dance and prayer - a "Pentecostal rainbow of faces and cultures,"
as reported in a sub-movement's newsletter. Among the lead speakers were
Chiara Lubich of the Focolare Movement, Andrea Riccardi of the St. Egidio
Community, Jean Vanier of L'Arche Community, Kiko Arguello of the Neocatechumenal
Way, and Msgr. Luigi Giussani of Communion and Liberation. The leaders
of their international affiliate communities represented the recently-organized
Catholic Confraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships.
Among the 56 movements, two originated in Asia: Couples for Christ and
El Shaddai. It was the first time in the history of the Church that the
new ecclesial movements gathered for a meeting with the Holy Father.
With the new paradigms
of empowerment and co-responsibility heralded by Vatican II, a fresh wave
of spiritual ardor spread among the entire Church, particularly the laity.
New associations and communities emerged, sharing a cherished experience,
advocating a lived truth, or fostering a special spirituality. Perhaps
the most animating and dynamic of the new movements is the Charismatic
Renewal Movement (CRM) - a stream that flowed into the Church in parallel
motion with the Pentecostal wave in Protestantism. There sprang other movements
equipped with the gifts of the Spirit, but the CRM was the most forceful
and prolific of all.
Reportedly originating
from a 1967 prayer session in Duquesne University of the United States,
the charismatic experience flows from the Biblical event of Pentecost (Acts
2:1-41). The mystical event emanates from the baptism of the Holy Spirit,
a neo-sacramental ritual at which a minister (either ordained or lay) places
their hand upon another (called the "laying on of hands"), and prays
the "Prayer of Salvation." At that moment the gifts of the Holy Spirit
are released (cf. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11), and are received by believers.
Immediate manifestations accompany the experience, foremost of which are
the gift of tongues (glossalalia) and the gifts of prophecy,
word of wisdom and knowledge, and the gift of healing.
The after-effects of the baptismal experience include a personal
intimacy with Jesus Christ, devotion and docility to the Holy Spirit,
a deep love for God the Father, sustained immersion in prayer and Bible
study, and joyful, enlivened worship with songs of praise and adoration.
The charismatic experience leads naturally to the formation of communities
(or at least of prayer groups) as the hunger for worship and Scripture-study
impels individual adherents to seek membership in charismatic groups. The
Movement has gained wide following in various sectors of the Church, including
the parishes. Within the large charismatic renewal movement is a number
of sub-movements that have branched out internationally.
Until very recently,
Church authorities resisted (some even banned) the entry of the charismatic
renewal into dioceses and parishes. Some reject the apparent inclination
to emotional expression and the free use of body movement in their worship.
Others are wary of the charismatic propensity to quote Scriptures indiscriminately
without much theological understanding. Some object to the Movement's recruitment
of lay leaders and workers away from parishes and into prayer groups. Some
quarters express their wariness of the cultic tendencies of some groups.
But the inherent strength and soundness of the Movement, and the articulate
boldness of its leaders, fortified the missionary thrust of the Church,
and neutralized the proselytizing forays of other denominations that initially
drew large numbers of converts from Catholicism. Its vast following, and
its close adherence to the value of generosity and the norm on tithing,
provide it with a deep source of human, material and financial provisions.
The Movement also attracted respected personages in the Church, the most
prominent of whom was the late Cardinal Suenens, Fr. Michael Scanlan and
Fr. John Bertolucci of the Franciscan University of Steubenville, and the
Preacher in the Papal Household, Fr. Raniero Cantalamessa, who interpreted
the substance of the movement in his book on St. Paul's Epistle to the
Romans, "Life (in the Lordship) of Christ." The Charismatic Renewal has
become an invaluable link of fellowship with other Christians.
Yet the Movement
has not come to grips with the imperative of channeling its formidable
power into the needs of the temporal world, towards the Gospel's call to
transform the social order according to the plan to God. This is the renewed
mission of the Church after Vatican II, flowing from the mission of Jesus
related in Luke 4:18 and echoed from Isaiah 61: "The Spirit of the Lord
is upon me; therefore, he has anointed me. He has sent me to bring glad
tidings to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, recovery of sight
to the blind and release to prisoners, to announce a year of favor from
the Lord." The Movement has been unable to catalyze most of its adherents
to embrace the radical discipleship of the early Christian communities.
It has confined itself to a spirituality of conversion, of holiness and
fellowship, failing to galvanize its adherents into a force of advocacy
and action against the structures of sin. It has been unable (or unwilling)
to challenge the social forces that diminish the dignity of man, ignore
the light of faith and bar from the mainstream of culture the values of
the gospel. The fullness of the Spirit moving the Church after Pentecost
has not been harnessed by the Movement.
IV.
Church At Society's Roots: Basic Ecclesial Communities
Pope John Paul II,
in Redemptoris Missio (#51) speaks enthusiastically of small, basic
ecclesial communities:
A rapidly growing
phenomenon in the young Churches - one sometimes fostered by the bishops
and their Conferences as a pastoral priority - is that of "ecclesial basic
communities" (also known by other names) which are proving to be good centers
for Christian formation and missionary outreach. These are groups of Christians
who, at the level of the family, or in a similarly restricted setting,
come together for prayer, scripture reading, catechesis and discussion
on human and ecclesial problems with a view to a common commitment. These
communities are sign of vitality within the Church, an instrument of formation
and evangelization, and a solid starting point for a new society based
on "the civilization of love."
The institution of basic
ecclesial communities traces its roots to the same event that gave birth
to the charismatic renewal movement - the outpouring at Pentecost, the
antithesis of Babel, which restored the people of God on the foundation
of unity in Christ. The post-Pentecost Church consisted of small communities
gathering in homes that had been extended to accommodate a number of households.
The evangelist Luke describes these communities as "of one heart and one
mind, sharing all things in common" so that no one was in need (Acts 4:32).
Members "...devoted themselves to the apostles' instruction and the communal
life, to the breaking of bread and prayers, witnessing with power to the
resurrection of the Lord, and great respect was paid to them all." (Acts
2:42)
The basic ecclesial
communities (sometimes called basic Christian communities or small Church
communities) are circles of households living in the same geographical
area who integrate worship, catechesis and social action into their social,
cultural and economic life. The best of these communities are described
as:
... centered on
Christ, rooted in the Word of God, gathered in meaningful celebrations
of the Eucharist, open to dialogues of life with people of other faiths,
and committed to the transformation of society to the liberation of people
from oppressive structures.
A 1988 report states:
In the early and
mid-70s, the fresh winds of Vatican II breathed new life into the Church
of Mindanao and Sulu, revitalizing parishes and dioceses towards self-governing,
self-nourishing and self-supporting small/basic Christian communities.
Initiatives of both missionaries and diocesan priests in the late '60s
bore fruit as the Mindanao-Sulu Pastoral Conferences paved the way of more
concrete support from the institutional Church to the efforts of bringing
to the smallest barrio in a far-flung parish the Good News and spirit of
the life of the early Christian communities. Soon after, the renewal moved
towards the Visayas and Luzon. By 1979 the Synod of Manila adopted BCC
as its pastoral thrust. In 1986 the Archdiocese of Cebu formalized its
support for the endeavors of the BCC practitioners of the past decade (Victoria
Narciso-Apuan; 1988).
Cardinal Eduardo Pironio
laments that:
... some "ecclesial
basic communities" had become "deformed in some places (becoming sources
of division, criticism and protest, and of political activism) which has
caused certain pastors to lose confidence in them, and has even made it
necessary for them to work underground or to break up altogether. If they
are truly "ecclesial communities" (in other words, if they live in communion
with their pastors) they constitute a wonderful power for evangelization
and missionary outreach; they are also an effective tool for the renewal
of the parish (viewed as a "community of communities"). In some countries,
the "ecelesial basic communities" are the only places in which the lay
faithful can participate in them; in them they are able to express their
ecclesial, missionary and social coresponsibility.
The challenge of cultivating
the new way of Church through "basic ecclesial communities" requires considerable
manpower and finances. As of 1990, the ratio of clergy to laity was less
than 1 to 9,000, or approximately 1,500 families. At a low ratio of I to
15, the number of "coordinators" need 10 "supervisors" to manage them.
Moreover, the indispensable need to provide formation and pastoral care
for widely dispersed and resource-strapped basic communities is a formidable
requirement in the goal of establishing this structure of Church in the
context of Asia.
V.
A Unifying Prospect: Enabling The Movements To Serve The Parishes
Through
Nurturing The Basic Ecclesial Communities
Is it viable to
merge the dynamism of the Charismatic Movements and the solidity of the
Basic Ecclesial Communities to strengthen the Catholic faith in Asia?
Not only is it viable; it is perhaps the soundest option for the Church.
However, certain steps are necessary.
First, the leaders
and advocates of both sectors jointly share in a process of prayerful discernment
and consultation. It is necessary to invite a rich variety of serious
thought and opinion from the movers of both dispensations, towards a mutually
acceptable conceptual plan. This process must be placed under-the auspices
of the bishops' conference.
Second, associations
and communities of the charismatic movements aspiring to participate must
be evaluated according to their fidelity to the criteria and standards
of the Church.
Pope John Paul II,
in the Apostolic Exhortation Christifideles Laici, no. 30, posited
"Criteria
for Ecclesiality" for the recognition of lay associations:
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The primacy given to the call
of every Christian to holiness;
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The responsibility of professing
the Catholic faith and obedience to the Church's Magisterium;
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The witness to a strong and
authentic communion in filial relationship to the Pope and the local
bishop;
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Conformity to and participation
in
the Church's apostolic goals, that is, the evangelization and sanctification
of humanity and the Christian formation of people's conscience; and
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A commitment to a presence
in human society, at the service of the total dignity of the person
and guided by the Church's social doctrine.
These five conditionalities
are verifiable in the "actual fruits" of their organizational life and
service. These "fruits" are:
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A renewed appreciation for prayer;
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A reawakening of vocations
to Christian marriage, priesthood and the consecrated life;
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A readiness to participate
in Church programs and activities at local, national and international
levels;
-
A commitment to catechesis
and a capacity for teaching and forming Christians;
-
A desire to be present
as Christians in various settings of social life and the creation
and awakening of charitable, cultural and spiritual works;
-
A spirit of detachment and evangelical
poverty leading to a greater generosity in charity towards all; and
-
A conversion to the Christian
life or return to Church communion of those who had previously fallen away.
The Pontifical Council
of the Laity points to at least two principal criteria for discerning the
validity of ecclesial (including charismatic) movements:
1. A profound
and renewed missionary awareness, particularly in the mission ad
gentes, and,
2. A humble
and active desire to be incorporated into the life of the diocesan
and parochial churches.
Third, the bishops'
conference(s) of participating Local Churches must formulate a general
plan or sound model. Participants in the discernment and consultation
process may be enlisted as consultors in the planning or modeling phase.
The substance of planning should include not only the formation, but the
animation aspects of ecclesial communities, such as cooperative organization,
appropriate technology, small-scale industry management, political advocacy,
et al.
Fourth, associations
or communities who qualify may be assigned functional areas of participation
or contribution to the formulated programs. The program must make systematic
use of the charisms, spirituality and resources of participating associations
or communities.
The option presented
above does not presume to offer conclusive answers, but merely envisions
the possibility of a coalescence of resources and responsibilities towards
a common purpose. The only answer it hopes to advance is the efficacious
power of the Word and Spirit of God when those who have been moved by them
act together to share them with those who need them. The gift you have
received, give as a gift (Matthew 10: 8).
This discussion guide
concludes with a conviction expressed in 1993 on the question of contemporary
challenges in Asia:
At no other time
in the history of salvation have the people of the world become more inclined
to listen to the Christian Gospel than now, this century, today. At no
other time than today has mankind matured to the possibility of a collective
recognition of the Gospel imperatives of solidarity, of compassion, of
love, the values for which Our Lord Jesus lived and died and rose again
in glory. For in his search for peace and prosperity, man has turned to
virtually every means and method and message available to the human mind
and heart. And yet our human answers have failed to settle the restlessness
or to satisfy the hungers of the peoples of the world. Everywhere today,
the transience and frailty of human answers are unveiled: the emptiness
of unbridled capitalism in the West, the meaninglessness of regimented
communism in the East, even the helplessness of irresolute nationalism
in the emerging nations of the Third World, particularly Asia.
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