Pentecostalism is booming. The fastest-growing form of global Christianity, it’s not non-denominational so much as trans-denominational. In the Catholic Church, it’s called the Charismatic movement, or the Charismatic Renewal, which, though not exactly hostile to tradition, is antithetical to traditionalism. Catholics of the Charismatic persuasion celebrate and promote the movement of the Holy Spirit in all his exuberance and spontaneity. He’s full of surprises. So, of course, are Christians who purport to channel him.
Pope Francis has been touched by the Charismatic Renewal in Latin America, and by Pentecostalism more generally — even shaped by them, some would say. If you want to know what a Charismatic Catholic sounds like, he gives you a pretty good idea. “Make a mess,” he urged an audience of young Catholics early in his pontificate, meaning that they should defy the fears and inhibitions that would prevent them from taking risks and acting on their faith.
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