Cardinal John Njue, the cardinal - archbishop of Nairobi !

"Becoming a Kind of Club"

"The cardinal of Nairobi has suspended the Catholic Charismatic Renewal."

"Will he ban it?"

We need to be very careful when we read that book, Acts of the Apostles...


Adapted from The Catholic World Report, July 2009. By Travis Kavulla.

"Nairobi, Kenya -- It is no secret that African Christianity has been trending in the past few decades toward Pentecostal worship, with its raucous and individualized services and its emphasis on the Holy Spirit's regular, miraculous interventions in the everyday world.

"When a mainstream church applies the brakes on the trend, it's big news.

"So it was in Kenya, where front - page headlines last month declared Protests as Cardinal bans charismatic group.

"John Njue, the cardinal - archbishop of Nairobi, suspended the Catholic Charismatic Renewal (CCR) in February.

"The decision was so controversial that it was not written down, but delivered orally.

"The charismatics themselves remained hushed about it for three full months.

"When the news at last broke, Cardinal Njue said little publicly, but held a two - hour conversation with charismatic leaders in May and told parishioners at his cathedral on May 31, Pentecost Sunday, We need to be very careful when we read that book, Acts of the Apostles, not to take things too literally.

"He called charismatics' claim of divine healing and tongues not something to be taken lightly.

"Born out of an American Catholic gathering [sounds like an oblique reference to the Duquense U. folks of 1967 fame!] whose members [unilaterally] declared they had been baptized in the Holy Spirit, the CCR enjoyed the support of [Paul VI] and John Paul II.

"Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the papal preacher since 1980 and a memeber of the Church's committee for dialogue with Pentecostal churches, has been the charismatic movement's most prominent proponent, stressing that any complete understanding of the Trinity will include a realization of the Holy Spirit as an active force.

"Father Cantalamessa has visited Kenya and many other African and Latin American countries to preside over charismatic meetings.

"Predominantly women, Kenya's CCR members are faithful, Mass - going Catholics.

"But they also gather at week - long prayer - a - thons and overnight vigils where they exhort, loudly, the miraculous powers of Christ and his Holy Spirit."


They were making the Holy Spirit to say things it never said...

... and to do things that it never did...


"[S]ays Father Marino Gemma, parish priest of Nairobi's Consolata Shrine, one of Kenya's largest congregations, which hosted charismatic meetings, It was becoming a kind of club. They were making the Holy Spirit to say things that it never said, and do things that it never did. The Catholic Church is more cautious and prudent in declaring something a miracle. These people, these charismatics, need to be guided a bit..."


Boy!

Sounds like -- to yours truly, at least! -- that this Cardinal John Njue of Nairobi, Kenya is equal to the task, huh??!! :)