The nearly 200 people attending the Atlanta showings on Oct. 10 of Pope John Paul II’s videotaped address to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal saw the pope strongly affirm and bless the Charismatic Renewal in prepared remarks to the movement’s leaders.

Shown at the Cathedral of Christ the King, the videotape of the pope’s talk drew guests from around the archdiocese, including Archbishop Thomas A. Donnellan, the members of the Archdiocesan Servants Committee of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Atlanta, and leaders from many of the more than 30 charismatic prayer groups in the archdiocese.

The pope’s message, which was originally delivered in May of this year at a special Vatican audience for the delegates to the Fourth International Leaders’ Conference of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, began by noting the good reputation of the Charismatic Renewal in the Church and its good fruits.

“The Church has seen the fruits of your devotion to prayer in a deepened commitment to holiness of life and love for the word of God...a broadened ecclesial vision, and...your generosity in sharing God’s gifts with the unfortunate of the world.”

As Pope Paul VI had done in an address to the Charismatic Renewal in 1975, Pope John Paul II outlined several key principles for guiding discernment, emphasizing the pre-eminence of love.

The pope’s address came in the midst of an evening of prayer and praise with the charismatic leaders during which the pope participated with obvious enjoyment in the enthusiastic and worshipful singing by the leaders, who included numerous bishops and priests. The pope enunciated three goals for the leaders in the renewal.

“The role of the leader, is in the first place,” the pope said, “to give the example of prayer in his own life.” That life of prayer should include, among other things, “meditation on the word of God, since ‘ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ,’ as St. Jerome insisted;... time for prayer alone with God; (and) entering more deeply into the (liturgical and sacramental life of the Church).”

Secondly, “leaders in this renewal should...seek a sound theological formation”; and, thirdly, they should take initiative in working with the bishops, who even “when they do not share with you the forms of prayer which you have found so enriching, ...will offer you the sure guidance which is the task allotted to them.”

Then addressing the role of the priest in the Charismatic Renewal the pope stated, “the priest has a unique and indispensable role...not in opposition to or parallel to the legitimate role of the laity...(but with the bishop) he helps to ensure for movements of spiritual renewal and lay apostolate their integration with the sacramental, liturgical life of the Church.” The pope continued, “The priest, for his part, cannot exercise his service on behalf of the renewal unless and until he adopts a welcoming attitude towards it, based on the desire he shares with every Christian by baptism to grow in the gifts of the Holy Spirit.”

Finally, before imparting his Apostolic Blessing, the pope focused on the role of the Holy Spirit in the renewal’s work of unity and of true ecumenism. “This same Holy Spirit will bring to light the strategy for ecumenism which will bring to light the strategy for ecumenism which will bring to reality our hope of ‘one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all, and works through all and is in all (Ephesians 4:6).”

A response to the pope’s talk was delivered by Ralph Martin, internationally known leader in the Catholic Charismatic Renewal. Speaking for the renewal in over 100 countries, including 18 million Catholic charismatics in the United States alone, Mr. Martin expressed the love and loyalty of those in the renewal for the pope and their thankfulness, for his strong example of lifting up Jesus throughout the world as the only way of salvation. After this response the pope warmly embraced Mr. Martin, and the pope and all the bishops present jointly extended their blessing to the kneeling crowd of leaders.

In Atlanta the Charismatic Renewal is coordinated through the Archdiocesan Servants Committee, sponsor of the videotape presentation of the pope’s talk. Parishes and groups interested in showing the VHS videotape in their locale may write to the Archdiocesan Servants Committee, P.O. Box 54672, Atlanta, GA 30308.