After years of mixed feelings under Pope Francis, there’s a growing sense of hope among members of the Catholic charismatic renewal as they look ahead to working with Pope Leo XIV.
Many believe this new pontificate could mark a refreshing chapter of collaboration and mutual respect.
Strong Support from the Top
Shayne Bennett, who heads up mission and faith formation at the Holy Spirit Seminary in Brisbane, Australia, shared his positive outlook following a major gathering in Rome.
He believes Pope Leo will be a strong ally for charismatics and other lay movements.
“From what we’ve seen, Pope Leo was quite supportive of the charismatic renewal when he led his diocese in Peru,” Bennett said.
His remarks came at the end of a June 9–12 meeting of CHARIS — the Catholic Charismatic Renewal International Service.
This Rome-based group, formed under Pope Francis, was created to bring together and support charismatic communities around the world.
Bennett plays a key leadership role within CHARIS as the coordinator of its commission of communities.
Complicated Legacy Under Pope Francis
The charismatic renewal’s relationship with Pope Francis had its ups and downs.
Early in his pontificate, Francis wasn’t exactly enthusiastic about the movement.
In fact, during a private meeting in 2024 with Argentina’s charismatic leaders, he reportedly joked that their activities reminded him more of a samba school than a structured church movement.
While Pope Francis did eventually back CHARIS as a way to bring unity and structure to charismatic groups globally, some members felt uneasy with the direction things were headed.
His call for tighter alignment with Vatican guidelines sparked a bit of resistance.
Concerns About Control and Centralization
According to Bennett, not everyone in the charismatic renewal felt comfortable with the Vatican’s more hands-on approach.
“Any time a leader makes strong decisions, there’s bound to be some pushback,” he said.
“Francis gave us a very clear framework, but some interpreted that as him trying to control the movement.”
The former pope outlined three major focus areas for the charismatic renewal when launching CHARIS in 2019: experiencing the baptism in the Holy Spirit, fostering unity among movements, and serving the poor.
While well-intentioned, this vision didn’t resonate with every charismatic group in the same way.
Hopeful for a New Chapter
With Pope Leo XIV now leading the Church, many charismatics are hopeful that their voice will be heard in a more collaborative spirit.
Based on his past support and openness to lay-led spiritual movements, leaders like Bennett are feeling confident about what’s ahead.
“There’s a lot of hope,” he said. “We’re ready to move forward with renewed trust and cooperation.”