8.86. What about ‘speaking in tongues’ and ‘healing’ ministries? Isn’t that the Holy Spirit moving like in the early Church?
The Holy Ghost truly did grant extraordinary gifts—such as tongues, prophecy, and miracles—to the Apostles in the infancy of the Church, to manifest divine authority and establish the Faith. But after the foundation of the Church was laid, these gifts ceased in regular use, as confirmed by the Fathers and Doctors.
What is now called the “Charismatic Renewal” is a modern deception, started in 1901 by Protestant heretics in Topeka, Kansas. It spread rapidly through Pentecostal sects, fueled by emotionalism, false doctrine, and demonic delusion. It entered the Vatican II Church in 1967 at Duquesne University—and was praised and encouraged by the conciliar “popes”, despite contradicting centuries of Catholic teaching.
Below is a comparison between the Catholic understanding of true spiritual gifts and the false charismatic phenomena promoted today.
| Category | True Catholic Teaching (Pre-Vatican II) | Modern Charismatic Movement | Remarks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Origin | Apostolic Age, confirmed by Scripture and Fathers | 1901: Protestant Pentecostalism (Charles Parham) | Founded outside the Church by heretics—already disqualifies it |
| Purpose of Charisms | To confirm the Gospel before the Church was established | Used for emotional experiences and “personal empowerment” | True charisms served God’s mission, not self-indulgence |
| Speaking in Tongues | Miraculous speaking in known foreign languages (Acts 2) | Babbling in unintelligible syllables (“glossolalia”) | Modern practice is emotional, uncontrolled, and non-verifiable |
| Discernment | Gifts tested by the Church, used by saints with humility | No doctrinal testing; embraces false ecumenism and heretics | Fails basic Catholic discernment: doctrinal orthodoxy is ignored |
| Ecumenism | True gifts lead to conversion and unity in the true Church | Charismatics often join hands with Protestants and Pentecostals | This is syncretism, condemned by the Church |
| Spiritual Focus | Fear of the Lord, contrition, sacraments, Eucharist, prayer | Focus on emotional highs, ecstatic “experiences,” falling over | Counterfeit spirituality imitates pagan possession and disorder |
| Role of the Holy Ghost | Sanctifies souls through grace, truth, and sacraments | Supposedly manifests through uncontrolled behavior and euphoria | True sanctity is calm, reverent, and obedient to doctrine |
| Fruits | Conversions, holiness, love of doctrine, fidelity to the Church | Confusion, emotionalism, Protestant ideas, doctrinal indifference | “By their fruits you shall know them” (Matt. 7:16) |
Summary:
The so-called Charismatic Renewal is not a renewal of the Catholic Faith—it is an imported Pentecostal heresy, dressed up with Catholic words but filled with Protestant ideas and emotionalism. It is rooted in subjective experience, not objective truth.
The true Catholic spiritual life is built on the sacraments, prayer, penance, humility, and doctrinal fidelity—not noise, disorder, or ecstatic outbursts.
As St. John of the Cross warned:
“The devil rejoices when a soul seeks supernatural phenomena rather than purification.”
The Holy Ghost leads to truth, reverence, and sanctity—not chaos, confusion, and Protestant gatherings. Catholics must flee the charismatic deception and return to the quiet strength of tradition, the Latin Mass, and the proven paths of the saints.