Pentecostals who are “challenging the notion of Catholicism as a buttoned-up faith”

From The Tennessean: 

They gathered in the little chapel at St. Ignatius of Antioch, lit by stained-glass abstracts capturing the setting sun, ready to experience something outside the bounds of Mass.

Some strummed guitars; others grabbed maracas and tambourines from a basket and joined in; still others quietly paged through Bibles brought from home. After each song came shouts of “We praise you! We glorify your holy name!” One man dropped to his knees, palms facing upward, whispering “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus” over and over.

None of that would look unusual in Middle Tennessee’s Pentecostal-leaning congregations, but these charismatics are challenging the notion of Catholicism as a buttoned-up faith. They’re also claiming a powerful ally in Pope Francis, who in interviews and speeches has joked that he first regarded the animated charismatics as “samba school” students but now endorses them as a great force — possibly because Pentecostal denominations are converting millions of South American Catholics.

In the Nashville area, charismatics have been meeting for decades. There are regular prayer meetings at St. Ignatius plus St. Luke in Smyrna and Our Lady of the Lake in Hendersonville. And today, more than 200 will gather for a regional conference at St. Ignatius.

Local charismatic Catholics say they’ve been irrevocably changed for the better by their experience, which for some includes healing, spontaneous utterances of prophecy and praying in tongues. But they admit it’s not for everyone.

“Deep down, some know that it requires a much bigger commitment to their spirituality and to the Lord, and I think that they’re not sure they want to do that,” said Bob Schwartz, one of the conference planners. “One thing about the renewal is you have to let God into your emotions as well as your brain.”

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