Charismaticism in The Roman Catholic Church : A Study of The Charismatic Renewal Movement in The Archdiocese of Accra

ABSTRACT

The study set out to examine the theological-pastoral implications of the spiritual/religious activities of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement for the evangelizing mission of the Archdiocese of Accra, Ghana. It was conducted with the understanding that the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement was among the fast-growing ecclesial groups in the Church and its wide-ranging activities were, for the most part, charism-and-lay-driven. The research is a qualitative study which was conducted within systematic and pastoraltheological paradigm of the Roman Catholic Church. It employed phenomenological and narrative approaches. Instruments used to collect data were: observations, participant observations, semi-structured interviews, and focus group discussions. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used to identify key informants. Data was also gathered from archival, primary and secondary sources. Content analysis was used in analyzing the data from documents. The study shows that the activities of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement have prospects and challenges for the evangelizing mission of the Archdiocese of Accra. The prospects include the historical and theological connection between the Sacraments of Initiation and the Baptism of the Spirit. Another prospect is the interplay of the charismatic gifts and the apostolate of the lay faithful in the evangelization mission of the Church. The study found out that some activities of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement were carried out within the orthodoxy and orthopraxis of the Church. Potentially, these activities enhance the proclamation of the Gospel. In contrast, the study noted there was tension between the hierarchical/institutional gifts of office holders of the Church and charismatic gifts of lay members of the movement. Another challenge was the literal interpretation of the Bible, the doctrines of the Church, and the resultant “schisms.” Hence, some activities of the movement compromise the orthodoxy and orthopraxis of the Church. Therefore, these iii affect the evangelization efforts of the Archdiocese of Accra. Generally, the Catholic Charismatic Renewal Movement has the potential for enhancing the evangelizing mission of the Archdiocese of Accra. The study recommends the highlighting of the theological-pastoral significance of the charismatic gifts since these gifts, together with the hierarchical/institutional gifts, constitute the dimensions of the Church. It also recommends the inclusion of the study of CharismaticPentecostal Christianity and the charismatic dimension of the Church in the academic programme of study of the Catholic Major Seminaries in Ghana. The study understands the pragmatic need for providing future priests with both theoretical and practical tools for connecting the Gospel to pastoral situations and historical moments. It is hoped that the study will contribute to the ongoing academic discourse on the Charismatic-Pentecostal phenomenon. It is also expected that it will contribute to the shaping of an appropriate pneumatology for the Archdiocese of Accra. Finally, it is expected that the study will contribute to scholarship on systematic and pastoral theology in the Roman Catholic Church.