Pope Benedict XVI’s Encounter with movements and new ecclesial communities

“The whole Church is only one great movement”

Pentecost 2000 marked a milestone in the course of the Church at the beginning of the third millennium by re-launching of movements and new ecclesial communities as ways of commitment to Christ and his gospel, as instruments to live in unity in diversity, as new forms of communicating to the world the joy and beauty that comes from God. Many persons throughout the world have discovered through the ecclesial movements that the Christian life is neither an ideology, nor a philosophy nor a moral; it is the transforming encounter of a person, with Jesus, “the most handsome of all the sons of men.” (Ps. 45) VMY felt united with this celebration; although it was born 159 years ago as an ecclesial reality, its post-conciliar renovation in the 80’s presents to the young people of today a new image, a new ardour and new dynamisms.

An estimated 400,000 pilgrims from some 120 new ecclesial realities (twice as much as those eight years ago) were gathered on June 3-4 to celebrate this event. St. Peter’s Square was converted into an open cenacle. The multitude, from different races, languages and social origins, could not be embraced by the colonnade of Bernini and extended as a human river towards the Via de Conciliacion and the adjacent streets. It was a sign of vivacity, youthfulness and universality of the Church.

It was the second encounter of this kind, after the first one was called for by John Paul II on Pentecost 1998. During that occasion, John Paul II proposed three imperatives to the movements: Open yourselves! Accept! and, Do not forget! He said (cried out) that afternoon of May 30: “Open yourselves docilely to the gifts of the Spirit! Accept gratefully and obediently the charisms which the Spirit never ceases to bestow on us! Do not forget that every charism is given for the common good, that is, for the benefit of the whole Church.”

During this occasion, Pope Benedict XVI said that afternoon of June 3, “ If we see this assembly, here, in St. Peter's Square, we realize that he always inspires new gifts, we see how diverse the organs he creates are, and how he always acts anew physically…But in him multiplicity and unity go together. He breathes where he wills. He does so in an unexpected way, in unexpected places, and in ways that had never before been imagined. Multiformity and unity are inseparable. The Holy Spirit desires your multiformity, and wants you for the one body, in union with the lasting orders -- the joints -- of the Church, with the successors of the apostles, and with the Successor of St. Peter… Participate in the building of the one body!" The Holy Father exhorted the movements, “Pastors will be careful not to extinguish the Spirit and you will not fail to take your gifts to the whole community.”

The theme for this encounter was "The Beauty of Being Christians and the Joy of Communicating It." “There is nothing more beautiful than being reached and be caught by surprise by the Gospel, by Christ. Nothing is more beautiful than knowing him and communicating friendship with him to others” said Benedict XVI upon commenting on the theme.He also encouraged missionary drive. "One who has found what is true, beautiful and good in his life -- the only treasure, the precious pearl! -- runs everywhere to share it, in the family, at work, in all the environments of his life… This is the best service of the Church to people and in a totally particular way to the poor.”

In the afternoon of June 3, before the arrival of the Holy Father, a video was shown that highlighted the events of the 1998 meeting of the new movements and communities, with John Paul II. Testimonies and reflections followed on commitments arising from the second congress of ecclesial movements and new communities, which was held on May 31 to June 2 in Rocca di Papa. Salvatore Martinez, national coordinator of Italy's Renewal in the Spirit, and by Maria Luigia Corona, co-founder of the Villaregia Missionary Community, read the conclusions. Then, a married couple of the “Regnum Christi” movement led the participants in praying the third glorious mystery of the rosary.

When the Pope arrived, the Liturgy of Vespers began. A representative of Chiara Lubich, founder of the Focolare movement, read a message addressed to the Pope by the movements. Then, Kiko Argüello, who helped launch the Neocatechumenal Way; Andrea Riccardi, founder of the Community of Sant' Egidio; and Father Julián Carrón, president of Communion and Liberation, commented on the two psalms and the canticle of Revelation of vespers.

After the Pope's homily, there was a liturgical memorial of the sacrament of confirmation, characterized by the rite of fire, the invocation of the Holy Spirit and the profession of faith. As a conclusion, Luis Fernando Figari, founder of the Christian Life Movement, and Patti Gallagher Mansfield, of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal, thanked the Pope at the end on behalf of the movements.

The day after, during the solemn Eucharistic Celebration of the Pentecost, the Pope recalled the great lesson that concluded this feast, “At times it is thought that missionary effectiveness depends primarily on careful programming and its subsequent intelligent application through a concrete commitment. The Lord certainly does ask us for our collaboration, but before any other response his initiative is necessary: His Spirit is the true protagonist of the Church. The roots of our being and of our action are in the wise and provident silence of God.”

Let us also sing a song of praise for the fruits of holiness of life, of communion, of valor, and of missionary zeal so that these charisms may flourish in the Church of our time and may be a sign of a renewed Christian springtime. The VMY will do well in communicating with these “brother movements.” Then, so as to revitalize forms of prayer which are simple yet attractive at the same time, we have to learn from them formation methods based in the Word of God and in the tradition of Church and closer to the contemporary sensibility; promotion of vocations of Holy Orders and Consecrated Life and to open new apostolic and missionary dimensions, especially in the midst of the poor and the young people. We ask the Holy Spirit to touch the heart of each VMY member, so that with its help we may gain a new impulse, renewed energies and enthusiasm to live out the beauty of being a Christian and the joy of communicating it.

Pedro Castillo, CM.