2013-08-26 John W John W's previous articles
Two men named Francis and the reason for Pentecostal growth
(Comments welcome here)
In one of his books on healing, written about 30 years ago, Francis MacNutt made an interesting prediction. He said that the healing ministry of the Church is lying dormant, and when it awakes it will provide the greatest missionary impetus the Church has ever known. (If anyone can find this reference, please send to me: jdwomi@gmail.com )
Over
the past week I have started reading Testing
Prayer by Candy Gunther Brown. After the first 25 testing pages of heavy
methodology-explanation (a testing practice by US authors), the book becomes
most interesting as it proceeds to explain these words of pp.13-14:
From a handful of adherents at the turn of
the twentieth century, pentecostals now account for more than a quarter of the
world's 2 billion Christians. Aware that prayer for healing played some role in
the rise of global pentecostalism, I collaborated with seventeen
anthropologists, historians, political scientists, sociologists and religion
scholars to write Global
Pentecostalism and Charismatic Healing (2011). The collective force of
our research is that the single most
significant factor that explains the growth of pentecostalism is the frequency
of the perception among both new converts and long-time adherents that they have
received divine healing. (Emphasis
added)
The book goes on to describe the wake-up call to which the Catholic Church is now belatedly trying to respond: the many millions of Catholics in South America, the Philippines, Africa and other places who have left the "powerless" Catholic Church (and other mainline churches) to join the anointed-with-power Pentecostals
MacNutt was right: the healing ministry is an immense engine of missionary growth
Meanwhile back on the Catholic Ranch, most leaders remain sceptical of the whole charismatic renewal, especially its healing ministry. In some quarters it's even unfashionable to believe in the power of intercessory prayer ("a lot of superstition")
One
sceptical leader was a man named Bergoglio. But then he changed his mind.
His own words (on the plane from Rio to
Rome):
What you say is very true about the loss
of faithful: it's true, it's true. There are statistics. We spoke with the
Brazilian bishops about the problem, in a meeting we had yesterday. You asked
about the Charismatic Renewal Movement. I'll tell you something. In the years,
at the end of the 70s, beginning of the 80s, I couldn't stand them. Once,
speaking of them, I said this phrase: 'They confuse a liturgical celebration
with a samba school!' I said this. But I repented. Then, I got to know them
better. It's also true that the Movement, with good advisers, has gone on a good
path. And now I think this Movement has done so much good to the Church in
general. At Buenos Aires, I met with them often and once a year had a Mass with
all of them in the Cathedral. I've always favoured them, after I was converted,
when I saw the good they do. Because at this moment of the Church - and here I
lengthen the answer a bit - I think the Movements are necessary. The Movements
are a grace of the Holy Spirit. 'But how can one stop a Movement that is so
free?' The Church is also free! The Holy Spirit does what He wishes. Then He
does the work of harmonising, but I think the Movements are a grace, those
Movements that have the spirit of the Church. Because of this, I think that the
Charismatic Renewal Movement not only serves to avoid some going to join
Pentecostal confessions. But no! It serves the Church! It renews us. And each
one seeks his Movement according to his charism, where the Spirit takes him.
Which explains this photo of Cardinal Bergoglio being prayed over at an ecumenical charismatic gathering (...and note the back-handed compliments, from a charismatic point of view, paid by the critical article which published the photo)
So
...we can say that Francis the Pope is now putting into practice the words of
Francis MacNutt....supporting the charismatic movement (of which the healing ministry
is a large part) as a powerful means
of evangelisation.
Notice, too, how Francis often uses the charismatic laying on of hands to pray
for people, especially sick people. May his prayers bring many healings!
In fact, is it too much to dream, to hope, that the Catholic charistmatic renewal - especially through its healing ministry - will experience a new spring under Pope Francis....a spring that will foster a genuine "New Evangelisation", as well as foster a new spring for Christian unity (note how people in the Pentecostal groups don't care much about "denominalisation"...they regard all Christians as one family)
And continuing to dream, may we not hope that the healing ministry of the Christian Churches will be a non-threatening and most acceptable outreach to other religions, especially our Muslim brothers and sisters
A ministry of not just physical healing, but mental and psychological and generational healing....starting in Egypt
--------------
Francis
MacNutt:
The
Healing
Reawakening: Reclaiming Our Lost Inheritance