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Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - What are charisms? Pope Francis answered this question during today's General Audience. The Pontiff, continuing the cycle of catechesis on the Holy Spirit, began his reflection by quoting the conciliar constitution Lumen Gentium, which in number 12 says: "it is not only through the sacraments and the ministries of the Church that the Holy Spirit sanctifies and leads the people of God and enriches it with virtues, but, ‘allotting his gifts to everyone according as He wills’ (cf. 1 Cor 12:11)".
Therefore, after speaking of the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit that is carried out in the sacraments, in prayer and following the example of the Mother of God, for the Bishop of Rome "the moment has arrived to talk also about this second way the Holy Spirit works, which is charismatic action".
There are two elements that help to define what charism is. First, “the charism is the gift given ‘for the common good,’ to be useful to everyone. It is not, in other words, destined principally and ordinarily for the sanctification of the person, but for the “service” of the community.”
Secondly, the Pope explained, “the charism is the gift given “to one”, or “to some” in particular, not to everyone in the same way, and this is what distinguishes it from sanctifying grace, from the theological virtues and from the sacraments, which instead are the same and common to all.”
In other words, the Bishop of Rome added, “Charisms are the “jewels” or the ornaments that the Holy Spirit distributes to make the Bride of Christ more beautiful.”
The Pope then quoted the words of his predecessor, Benedict XVI, in the homily of the Chrism Mass in 2012: “Anyone who considers the history of the post-conciliar era can recognize the process of true renewal, which often took unexpected forms in living movements and made almost tangible the inexhaustible vitality of the holy Church”.
According to Pope Francis, it is important to “rediscover the charisms, because this ensures that the promotion of the laity, and of women in particular, is understood not only as an institutional and sociological fact, but also in its biblical and spiritual dimension. Indeed, the laity are not the least, no, they laity are not a form of external collaborator or auxiliary troops of the clergy, no! They have their own charisms and gifts with which to contribute to the mission of the Church.”
And he warned: “When we talk about the charisms, we must immediately dispel a misunderstanding: that of identifying them with spectacular or extraordinary gifts and capabilities; instead, they are ordinary gifts that assume extraordinary value if inspired by the Holy Spirit and embodied with love in situations of life. Such an interpretation of the charism is important, because many Christians, when they hear talk of charisms, experience sadness or disappointment, as they are convinced that they do not possess any, and feel they are excluded or second-class Christians.”
At the end of the audience, the Pope announced the dates of canonization of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati by surprise: “Next year, during the Jubilee for Adolescents (27 April 2025), I will canonize Blessed Carlo Acutis, and that on the Jubilee for Young People, next year (scheduled from 28 July to 3 August 2025), I will canonize Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati.”
Then the announcement of an event at the Vatican in defense of the rights of children: “On the occasion of the International Day of the Rights of Children and Adolescents, I wish to announce that next 3 February the World Meeting on Children’s Rights, entitled “Love them and protect them”, will take place here in the Vatican, with the participation of experts and figures from various countries. It will be an opportunity to identify new ways of assisting and protecting millions of children who are still without rights, who live in precarious conditions, who are exploited and abused, and who suffer the dramatic consequences of wars.”
“There is a group of children preparing for this Day,” said the Pontiff, while a group of children from the square “invaded” the scene to greet the Pope, who thanked them and embraced the little ones.
A thousand days after the conflict, he again called for peace in Ukraine: “A tragic milestone for the victims and for the destruction it has caused, but at the same time a shameful catastrophe for the whole of humanity! However, this must not discourage us from continuing to stand beside the tormented Ukrainian people, nor from imploring for peace and working to make weapons give way to dialogue and confrontation to encounter,” were the words of the Pope, welcomed with emotion by Olena Zelenska, wife of President Zelensky, who was present in St. Peter's Square and with whom the Pope had a private conversation before the General Audience.
The Bishop of Rome said: “The other day I received a letter from a university student from Ukraine”. And before giving the blessing, the Pontiff read part of the text of the letter: “Father, when on Wednesday you remember my country, and will have the opportunity to speak to the entire world about the thousandth day of this terrible war, I beg you, do not speak only of our sufferings, but also bear witness to our faith: although it is imperfect, its value does not diminish, it paints a picture of the Risen Christ with painful brushstrokes.” (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 20/11/2024)
