I just laughed out loud when I read the first line of this blog post… “St. Thomas…” I got my degree in Philosophy, and St. Thomas is my absolute favorite philosopher. However, he does not hold authority over the Word of God. It’s anti-Biblical, anti-Gospel, anti-Christ, to promote such a view such as, “Without doubt charismata is a heresy, because it corrupts and alters the Catholic Faith” (first paragraph). Just because NFP can be abused does not make it wrong. I think that there is a great fear of the charismatic gifts in the Church by some people, like those afraid of immorality, and promote puritanical views. This article is totally an extreme, and the author has lost touch with the Truth in his scrupulous legalism. Does not St. Paul say how he wishes we all spoke in tongues, but even more prophesy? John Paul II said “Long live the Charismatics!” And he spoke in tongues himself! If you’re really a Traditionalist, you’d recognize the Living Tradition, such as, with Vatican II, which in Fr. Cantalemessa’s 3rd Lenten Homily, spoke of how the Council shifted the view of the charismatic gifts from the “charisms of the saints” to the “charisms of the Church” - a significant moment, coinciding with John 23rd’s prayer, asking for the Holy Spirit to come like a “second Pentecost”, and coinciding with the Catholic Charismatic Renewal.
My heart grieves for those who have not tasted the sweetness of the Holy Spirit with the Baptism of the Holy Spirit… especially those who reject it and argue against it in the name of Doctrine. The Pharisees put to death the Word of God, because of the “words of God”… Satan can quote scripture too… where is the Anointed Word? Where are you, Lord Jesus?
I strongly recommend this short little booklet called “Baptism in the Holy Spirit: Reflections on a Contemporary Grace in the Light of the Catholic Tradition”, by Francis Martin.
The abuses in that church you spoke of, are not because of the Charismatic Renewal, but because of Liberal Catholicism. I, myself, am a Conservative Traditionalist… I’m a daily communicant, regularly attend a prayer meeting, and pray daily in Tongues… can’t get any more Traditional than that! We all need more of the Holy Spirit, like the prayer in Acts 4:23-31… If the Baptism in the Holy Spirit is heretical, then what is Mary doing in the upper room, when she was already overshadowed and filled to the point of conceiving the Word in her womb, at the Annunciation? We have so much love to drink from God, his love has such depths, such height, such breadth and width… Let us not turn away from the Spirit of God in legalism, but hold fast to the Tradition of the Church!
