BY Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo
WASHINGTON POST

A recent Pew survey points to a drift away from institutionalized religion and a robust tendency towards spirituality. I'll leave a detailed examination of the numbers to others, but I think Catholic America needs to revisit the spiritual side of religion expressed in the term "spirituality."

In the history of Catholicism, spiritualities arose at moments of crisis to renew the Church. Franciscan spirituality, for instance, emerged at a time of increasing commercial wealth that had created a new class of urban poor. The Franciscan spirituality added a new charism to Catholic virtue. While it was eventually approved by the hierarchy, Franciscanism at its core is spirituality arising from among the faithful.

READ MORE: http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/catholicamerica/2009/12/spirit-filled_spirituality_1.html

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