Kenneth Copeland offers to teach Pope how to speak in tongues

Robert Allen (syndicated columnist)

ROME (RAP) June 5, 2014 - A representative of Kenneth Copeland Ministeries (KCM) sat down with us this morning to talk about the offer recently made by the Rev. Kenneth Copeland to teach Pope Francis how to speak in tongues. The KCM spokesperson, who asked to remain anonymous, confided that the Holy Father had not yet communicated with them in person, but said that Copeland's offer has been "receiving serious consideration from officials in the Roman Curia."


While Pope Francis is on record as initially reacting negatively to the Charismatic Renewal movement within Catholic circles, going so far as to compare them with a "School of Samba," two events have more recently appeared to soften his stance to the movement.

In February 2014, Pope Francis appeared in a video that subsequently went viral among charismatics, in which he was seen sending greetings (via video) to a charismatic conference hosted by KCM, appearing just after Bishop Tony Palmer gave a half-hour speech stressing ecumenical unity of all Christians, notably including Catholics.

Then in June 2014, Pope Francis sent shock waves through the membership of the Catholic charismatic renewal by appearing at a conference of more than 52,000 charismatic Catholics in Rome.

Not only were Catholic charismatics excited "beyond words" about the event. Copeland was reportedly "filled with the spirit" and "unable to stop speaking in tongues for 42 consecutive hours."

When asked why Copeland had tried to contact Pope Francis in order to extend his invitation on instruction in tongue-speaking, the KCM representative stated that Copeland had been informed by unnamed sources that the Pope, fascinated by his exposure to glossolalia, the technical Greek term for the practice of speaking in tongues, had been making inquiries about the mechanics involved in the process.


"What are they actually doing?" the Pope had reportedly asked. "How do they chatter and sing in these unintelligible sounds? How can a person in his right mind do this?"

"I can help him with that!" Copeland is said to have responded enthusiastically, upon hearing this news. "I can show him how it's done!"

According to the KCM representative, Copeland let Vatican representatives know that as soon as he is given the green light, he plans to personally fly his private $20 million Citation 10 jet (one of his fleet of four jets) to Rome to meet with the Pope.

Nothing was mentioned about whether Pope Francis was expected to drive his 1984 Renault 4 to Fiumicino, the Rome airport, to pick up Copeland. There were, however, some misgivings about whether the Pope would be pleased with Copeland's opulent lifestyle, and some concern that the Pope might suggest Copeland take the public bus from Fiumicino to Rome.

"If the Pope himself were to publicly speak in tongues," said the KCM representative, "the Rev. Copeland believes it would go a long way toward healing the historical divisions within the Body of Christ and unifying the Church."

When asked whether the Rev. Copeland would also be instructing the Pope in other charismatic gifts, he responded that they planned to proceed with caution. "We don't really know whether members of the Curia would be open to being 'slain in the spirit,' or seeing it done to the Catholic faithful, even if it was by the hand of Pope Francis," he said.