Infoletter Catholic Charismatic Renewal in Sweden, February 2024

by Bengt Malmgren

 [letter PDF english version]

Life in the Spirit Seminars - Leader's manual in Swedish ready.

The team leader manual in Swedish for the Life in the Spirit seminars that Bengt Malmgren has worked with in collaboration with the prayer group Siloe in Malmö is now ready. It is based on the English originals that have previously been used and will be used in a preliminary version during the spring and then be evaluated.

New Life in the Spirit, participant booklet can be ordered via the internet bookshop (see below). For the team manual: Contact Bengt Malmgren.

Life in the Spirit seminars in Stockholm in collaboration the Prayergroup in the Catholic Cathedral - St. Clara Church during the Easter season.
Between Easter and Pentecost, 7 Wednesday evenings are planned to resume a previous tradition. On the initiative of St. Clara's director Hans Hernberg (Swedish Lutheran church), we are planning ecumenical Life in the Spirit seminars in St. Clara's Church and St. Erik's Catholic Cathedral. Reserve now Wednesday evenings from 3 April to 15 May.

Deacon Pancho Chin A Loi has announced that they are also planning Life in the Spirit seminars in the Holy Trinity Catholic Parish in Järfälla during the springtime.

We have had good experiences with Life in the Spirit seminars in ecumenical form, as the focus is on the very core of the Christian faith (kerygma) – God's universal plan for man's salvation as explained in the Bible. It is common to all Christians, as is the charismatic dimension of the full life of the Holy Spirit and the charismatic gifts, not as something exclusive but meant for all.  Discussions of theological issues are outside the scope of seminaries, and we do not engage in proselytism, but encourage every person who has become alive in the spirit to become even more involved in the Church to which one already belongs.

 "Baptism in the Holy Spirit" is a fundamental grace for the whole Church that is not to be misunderstood.

Baptism in the Spirit has proven to be an uncomplicated and powerful way to renew the lives of millions of believers in virtually every Christian denomination. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit, to be filled with the Spirit, to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. There are many descriptions of what is at the very heart of what the Catholic Charismatic Renewal emphasizes. Pope Francis mentions this as the most important thing he wants from CHARIS and the Charismatic Renewal: to share the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the whole Church.

Not everyone is familiar with the concept of "Baptism of the Spirit", but it has become accepted to describe the central part of the Pentecostal charismatic renewal current of grace that has affected all of Christendom starting at the beginning of the last century. It should not be misunderstood as a second baptism alongside water baptism, but the term is used in a figurative sense based on the fact that the concept of being "baptized in the Holy Spirit" is repeatedly referred to in the New Testament as the natural consequence of repentance and baptism. Jesus himself speaks of the apostles being "baptized with the Holy Spirit" (Acts 1:5). It is about receiving God's grace in its fullness and the full life of the Spirit.  In the statutes of the CHARIS, it is described as:

"... an outpouring of spiritual gifts called baptism in the Holy Spirit, involving a personal encounter with Jesus Christ as Saviour, an openness to the Word of God, to exercising the charisms and to evangelization in faithful service of the Church.” From art 1, statutes of Charis.

In Baptism in the Holy Spirit, a work of a theological commission, it is described as follows:

"… a life-transforming experience of the love of God the Father poured into one’s heart by the Holy Spirit, received through a surrender to the lordship of Jesus Christ. It brings alive sacramental baptism and confirmation, deepens communion with God and with fellows Christians, enkindles evangelistic fervour and equips a person with charisms for service
and mission” (Baptism in the Holy Spirit, Jubilee Anniversary Edition, Doctrinal
Commission of ICCRS, part I p.15).

CHARIS has a special page on its website where it explains more about the baptism of the Spirit:

Baptism in the Holy Spirit - CHARIS

Further studies: On the [CHARIS internet shop] you can buy the above mentioned book and much more literature of a fundamental kind about the Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church.

Charismatic renewal in Sweden web-bookshop.

A simple bookshop is available. You can buy books by Lillemor Hallin and others of interest about Charismatic Renewal in the Catholic Church. [Link to the bookshop here].

New Spiritual Advisor to CHARIS.

Father Raniero Cantalamessa, who has served the Charismatic  Renewal for many years, announced in November 2023 that he is stepping down as Church Counselor to CHARIS but promises to continue to pray for the Charismatic Renewal. With the approval of Pope Francis, the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life has appointed Msgr. Peter Leslie Smith as the new ecclesiastical counselor to CHARIS. He took office on 12 February.

Bishop Peter was born in 1958 in South Africa, after studying law and economics, he moved to the United States. He became a member of and lives with the charismatic community People of Praise. He was ordained a priest in 2001 and ordained a bishop in 2014. He holds several degrees in theology and canon law and is currently an Auxiliary Bishop of Portland, Oregon.  Previously, he was a member of the CHARIS International Service Community (CISC). We welcome Bishop Peter in his new appointment.

Father Cantalamessa's Prayer for Charismatic Renewal

 We thank F Cantalamessa for all that he has meant to the Renewal over the years! F Cantalamessa has formulated a prayer for the Charismatic Renewal, which has been translated into many languages on the CHARIS website. I have also made a Swedish translation.

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Spirit Paraclete,
thou who hast raised up in the Church
the Charismatic Renewal,
descend again with power
On all the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in the world.
Grant that the whole “current of grace”
be animated with new momentum.

 With your holy anointing,
enable all of us to proclaim the good news to the poor
and to heal afflicted hearts.

 Purify what is unclean in the Charismatic Renewal,
Heal what is wounded in it,
Warm what is chilled,
Straighten what is astray.
Bring together the scattered children of God
and Christians divided among them.

 Renew our courage,
fill our loneliness in the world,
create in us intimacy with God!

 Come, Holy Spirit, from the pierced side of Christ on the cross!
Come from the mouth of the Risen One!
Come and renew the face of the Church. Amen

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Let us all take this prayer to heart and pray it regularly with faith and purposefulness so that we may become living and pure channels of God's power and grace throughout the Church and throughout the world.

Mass and intercession in the Catholic Cathedral 6 March at 17.00

The prayergroup in the cathedral invites you to Mass and intercession during Lent. In connection with the Mass, there will be an opportunity for confession and personal intercession in prayer teams.

/Bengt Malmgren