PENTECOST SUNDAY:

The Easter Season concludes with the great Feast of Pentecost: the coming of the Holy Spirit. Periodically in the Church’s history, there are calls for new outpourings of the Spirit to encourage and revive us. In today’s world it seems to have become a constant refrain and it was interesting to note during our recent Redemptorist meeting in Rome, how regularly confrères were moved to invoke the Holy Spirit or even prophesy!  

Discerning the movements of the Spirit is not always easy and I must admit to being inclined to err on the side of caution, but, as you know by now, I do believe that there are clear indications that the Spirit is calling us to a radical rethink, and we are beginning to respond. It is certain that for the foreseeable future there will be fewer priests and we are going to have to accommodate accordingly.

Earlier in his life as a professional theologian, Pope Benedict had foreseen that congregations would become smaller but, hopefully, more fervent, and Pope Francis is driving forward his vision of Synodality, whereby we recognise and respect the gifts of all the faithful and walk together with the Lord on our pilgrimages through life.