The People of Praise, Charismatic Catholics, and Fringe Religious Groups

A brief introduction to the charismatic Catholics and People of Praise, in the news now due to Amy Coney Barrett's nomination.

People of Praise.

You may never have heard of it before the nomination of Amy Coney Barrett––who is said to be a part of the group––to the Supreme Court.

You will probably hear that they are a far-right fringe group, but they are actually part of the charismatic movement, and a bit of history may help us to understand them better. Read More

The charismatic renewal movement was quickly assimilated by the Roman Catholic Church. The charismatic notion of a "second work" in addition to water baptism meshed with the Roman Catholic view of confirmation. Most charismatic Roman Catholics that I have met hold fairly traditional Roman Catholic views. Their style of worship and their practice of the sign gifts (e.g., speaking in tongues), laying on of hands, anointing with blessed oil, and prayer for healing sets them apart from other Roman Catholics.