OFFICIAL NAME
Catholic Charismatic Renewal International Service
ALSO KNOWN AS
CHARIS
ESTABLISHED
2018
HISTORY
CHARIS was created following an explicit request by Pope Francis to provide the Charismatic Renewal with one unified service. For this reason, the Holy Father asked the leaders of the International Catholic Charismatic Renewal Services (ICCRS) and the Catholic Fraternity of Charismatic Covenant Communities and Fellowships, the two bodies then serving the Charismatic Renewal's current of grace, to actively participate in the process that led to the creation of CHARIS. They were accompanied in this by the Pontifical Council for the Laity, later the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life.
By decree of 8 December 2018, the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life established CHARIS as a body with public juridical personality.
IDENTITY
CHARIS, as its name indicates, is a body that is at the service of the Charismatic Renewal in all the ways that it is expressed: prayer groups, communities, ministries, associations, schools of evangelisation, etc. All of these hold in common an experience of Pentecost, ‘baptism in the Holy Spirit’ and a desire that charisms be applied in building up the Church and the whole world. The purpose of CHARIS is to promote and strengthen communion among the various groups and to encourage a sense of belonging to the Charismatic Renewal family.
CHARIS recognises the ecumenical origin of the Charismatic Renewal and it works for the unity of Christians as expressed in the prayer of Jesus (John 17).
ORGANISATION
CHARIS is organised on three levels: the International Service of Communion, made up of eighteen members elected by the General Assembly and coordinated by the Moderator assisted by an ecclesiastical assistant; the Continental Services of Communion which are essentially drawn from National Services of Communion; finally, the National Services of Communion, elected by the national assembly of each country.
WORKS
CHARIS received from the Holy Father the threefold mission of sharing with everyone in the Church the experience of 'baptism in the Holy Spirit', of working for Christian unity and of serving the poor. All of this is accomplished through a vibrant network of communication, through the faith formation it provides by holding major events, meetings for leaders and seminars, and through the service of a dedicated doctrinal and canonical commission.
PUBLICATIONS
CHARIS Magazine, online magazine.
WEBSITE
https://www.charis.international
HEADQUARTERS
Palazzo San Calisto
00120 Vatican City
Tel.: +39 06 698 87127 – Fax: +39 06 698 87140
E-mail: info@charis.international
