Returning to the Source: Reflections on Pope Leo XIV's Message as we approach CCR's Diamond Jubilee
- Abhy Thomas
- 1 hour ago
- 7 min read
By Abhy Thomas, Coordinator, CHARIS England & Wales
The current of grace is still flowing, and the Holy Spirit continues to guide the Renewal today, says Abhy Thomas after hearing Pope Leo XIV's historic message to Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Rome on 30 May 2026.
There are moments in the life of the Church when many voices seem to come together and speak a single message. For me, the recent gathering of CHARIS in Rome was one of those moments.
Representatives of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal from across the world gathered for prayer, worship, fellowship and discernment as we look ahead to the Diamond Jubilee of the Renewal in 2027. Many of us were eager to hear Pope Leo XIV's first address to the Catholic Charismatic Renewal since his election, which you can read here.
As I listened throughout the day, one quotation kept returning to me. Pope Leo repeated the words of Saint John Paul II: "How can anyone who has tasted the goodness of Christ remain silent and inactive?... Christ is our Saviour... How can we fail to evangelise?"
In many ways, that question seemed to capture the message of the whole gathering.
As we approach sixty years since the beginnings of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, the Lord appears to be inviting us not simply to look back with gratitude, but to rediscover the grace from which it was born. The message that emerged throughout the day was clear. The Lord is calling the Renewal to return to its first love, not so that we can relive the past, but so that we can be ready for what the Lord wants to do next.
Go deeper into the life of the Holy Spirit
This theme surfaced repeatedly throughout the gathering. Cardinal Kevin Farrell reminded us that the Catholic Charismatic Renewal is a "current of grace" given not for a select group, but for the whole Church. Michelle Moran encouraged us not to remain on the surface but to go deeper into the life of the Holy Spirit. Patti Mansfield, one of the original witnesses to the beginnings of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, brought us back to those early days and reminded us of the hunger for God, Scripture and the Holy Spirit that marked the first outpouring of this grace.
What struck me in Patti's reflections was the simplicity of those beginnings. Those who first experienced this grace were not trying to launch a movement. They were seeking Jesus. They wanted a deeper experience of God's presence. They longed for the Scriptures to come alive in a new way. They were asking the Lord for more. Before there were conferences, ministries and communities, there was a genuine hunger for God.
As I listened, I found myself wondering whether this may be one of the most important questions facing us as we approach the Diamond Jubilee. Do our communities still reflect that same hunger? Are we still marked by the same expectancy and openness to the Holy Spirit that characterised the beginnings of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal?
The answer offered throughout the day was not to look backwards with nostalgia, but to allow the Lord to renew us today. Again and again, we were challenged to go deeper. Michelle Moran spoke about the grace of Baptism in the Holy Spirit as a treasure entrusted to the Renewal for the good of the whole Church. We are not called merely to preserve that treasure, but to live it and share it. As she put it so simply: "The Spirit takes us deeper and the Spirit sends us out."
Pope Leo 'reaffirmed the grace of the Renewal and placed it firmly within the life and mission of the Church'
That movement of going deeper into God and further into mission seemed to run through the whole gathering. It found its clearest expression in Pope Leo's address. What struck me most about Pope Leo's message was that he did not try to introduce a new direction. Instead, he reaffirmed the grace of the Renewal and placed it firmly within the life and mission of the Church.
He recalled the encouragement given by every Pope from Saint Paul VI onwards. Paul VI recognised the gift. Saint John Paul II highlighted its missionary dimension. Benedict XVI affirmed the importance of the charisms. Pope Francis established CHARIS and clarified its mission. Pope Leo now receives and confirms that same inheritance.
I found that deeply encouraging. The Catholic Charismatic Renewal is not a passing phase in the life of the Church. For six decades it has been recognised and encouraged as a gift of the Holy Spirit. At a time when many people are asking what the future of the Renewal looks like, Pope Leo seemed to be reminding us that the Holy Spirit has been guiding this work from the beginning and continues to guide it today.
'The foundation of the Renewal is worship'
The Holy Father reflected on five foundations of the Renewal: Baptism in the Spirit, prayer of praise and worship, the Word of God, communion and charity. What struck me was that he was speaking about the things that have always been at the heart of renewal. These are the things that help us remain rooted in Christ and open to the work of the Holy Spirit.
Perhaps the statement that stayed with me most was his reminder of Pope Francis' conviction that "the foundation of the Renewal is worship." Standing alongside brothers and sisters from every continent, praying in different languages, one in the Spirit, I was reminded that the unity we experienced was not something we had created ourselves. It is the work of the Holy Spirit.
It reminded me that, before we are called to do anything for the Lord, we are first called to be with Him. Before we are sent out, we are invited into communion with Him. Worship is where we remember who God is, who we are, and why we have been called.
Renewal came from 'ordinary men and women' experiencing the power of the Spirit in new ways
The more I reflected on Pope Leo's message, the more I realised that everything he spoke about flowed from encounter with Christ. Those who first experienced this grace had tasted the goodness of Christ for themselves. They had encountered the living Lord and experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in a new way. Their witness was not driven by obligation, but by gratitude. They had found something real and wanted others to experience it too.
The Catholic Charismatic Renewal began because ordinary men and women encountered the living Christ and experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in a new way. What they received was not simply a new understanding of their faith, but a living relationship with Jesus that changed how they saw God, themselves and the world around them.
Perhaps this is one of the lessons we need to hear again today. People are not drawn to Christ because of our plans or activities. They are drawn to Christ when they meet men and women whose lives have genuinely been changed by Him.
Pope Leo also reminded us that renewal is seen not only in witness but in love. A passage which touched me most deeply was his quotation from Saint Augustine: "The Holy Spirit who is himself love has been given to man and inflames him to the love of God and neighbour." What a beautiful description of the work of the Holy Spirit.
Work of the Holy Spirit 'seen in compassion, generosity and service'
The work of the Holy Spirit is not only seen in spiritual experiences or charismatic gifts. It is seen in lives that are changed. It is seen in love for God, love for neighbour, love for the poor and love for those who suffer. It is seen in compassion, generosity and service.
We saw this reflected in the testimonies that followed. We heard stories of ministry among the homeless, feeding programmes for vulnerable communities, prison evangelisation, intercession for the nations, outreach among young people and efforts to build unity among Christians.
Each story was different, yet they all pointed to the same reality. When people encounter Jesus and allow the Holy Spirit to shape their lives, that encounter bears fruit. Again and again, we saw worship leading to service, prayer leading to action, and love for God overflowing into love for neighbour.
'The Lord is calling the Renewal to return to its first love'
As I reflected on everything I had heard, two thoughts kept returning to me.
The Lord is calling the Renewal to return to its first love, not so that we can relive the past, but so that we can be renewed in the Spirit for the future. The grace we have received was never meant to remain within our communities or expressions. It is a gift for the Church, for the poor, and for a world that is searching for meaning and hope.
Perhaps one of the questions facing us as we approach the Diamond Jubilee is whether we still carry the same zeal that marked those who first experienced this grace. Have we become comfortable custodians of a grace that was given for mission? Or are we still witnesses to that grace?
The Diamond Jubilee is, therefore, not simply about looking back over sixty years. It is an opportunity to renew our first love and rediscover the source from which the Renewal first sprang. For CHARIS England and Wales, I believe this points towards a future shaped by compassion, communion and mission. These are not separate callings. They are the natural fruits of a life lived in the Holy Spirit.
Compassion grows when our hearts are filled with the love of God and neighbour. Communion grows when we allow the Spirit to bring us together and teach us to walk with one another. Mission becomes a natural response when we have truly encountered Christ and discovered the joy of the Gospel for ourselves.
The current of grace is still flowing
As we journey towards the Diamond Jubilee in 2027, my prayer is that we will not simply look back with gratitude, but forward with faith. The same Holy Spirit who inspired the beginnings of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal continues to guide the Church today. The world around us is searching for hope, meaning and belonging. Perhaps the Lord is calling us, just as He called those who first experienced this grace, to place our confidence not in ourselves but in the power of the Holy Spirit.
The same Holy Spirit who stirred hearts at Duquesne nearly sixty years ago has not finished His work. The current of grace is still flowing. The question is whether we will step into it afresh.
Come, Holy Spirit.
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