The Holy See is establishing a body that will provide a “new, single, international service for the needs of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the Church”. This news was announced by the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life in a press release on 31 October. According to the Press Release, December 8 is the day that will see this new structure come to light. In addition, the statutes governing it will be approved, “ad experimentum” (i.e. on an experimental basis).
His Holiness Pope Francis himself has requested the creation of such an organization “on several occasions”, the Press Release states. CHARIS will be its name and it “will operate in favour of all expressions of the current of grace that is Catholic Charismatic Renewal”. CHARIS will have no authority over what the press release calls “realities of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal”. Each Charismatic entity will remain autonomous, under “the jurisdiction of the ecclesiastical authority upon which it currently depends”. All of these groups will be able to benefit from the services that CHARIS will provide.
The Press Release concludes by setting the Solemnity of Pentecost, 2019, as the day on which the Statutes take effect. On that day the following organizations “will cease to exist”: International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Service and the Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships.
Source: Vatican news
