“Although I left the journal a long time ago and I
am just a reader, I have felt closely tie to it since the day it was
founded and will do for the rest of my life,” Ratzinger wrote, referring
to his special bond with the theological journal Communio (established
by Swiss theologian, H.U. von Balthasar, in 1972).The letter was sent to the editor of the German version of the Communio International Catholic Review, Professor Jan-Heiner Tück, on the occasion of the fortieth anniversary of the launch of the Italian and German editions.
“We are now republishing this letter, as a sign of gratitude to the Pope who gave up the Petrine ministry, in an act of extreme love for the Church…” writes the editor of Communio’s Italian edition, Fr. Aldino Cazzago.
In his letter, Ratzinger recalls his friendship with Hans Urs von Balthasar, Henri de Lbac, Loui Bouyer, Marie-Joseph Le Guillou and other theologians who were members of the International Theological Commission. At its annual meeting in 1969, the commission – which aimed to keep the work of theologians in tune with the work of the Magisterium – came up with the idea of launching an international journal.
“We were right in the midst of the drama of 1968, when it seemed all sense of balance had been lost and that everything was available. It seemed as thought the whole world - and the Church along with it - was being created all over again. During these discussions, it became clear that internationality – or rather, catholicity – could not equal uniformity. Although the tsunami of 1968 was wreaking havoc across the whole of the West, cultural contexts differed hugely,” Benedict XVI explained.
Theology’s big three in those years were: Balthasar, de Lubac and Ratzinger. The aim of the journal that was about to be born was “to look beyond the confines of theology, at the core elements of human existence, from which faith takes shape.”
“Our goal was to create a journal that did not just address a closed circle of readers...It had to be a dynamic exchange. We didn’t want it to be just us talking to our readers, but them speaking to us, so that through this dialogue we could delve deeper and deeper into the realities they lived in.”
Is this kind of dialogue between readers and listeners possible in today’s world? Is it possible to move a journal out of a purely intellectual context and turn it into a force that is able to mould Church life? These are the challenges Communio is called to take on and Ratzinger mentions them in his letter.
“For some years now Communio’s heads have been committed to establishing a dialogue with readers, letting the latter act as inspiration, in an exchange of doctrine and wisdom, shaped by a Christian vision of the world,” said Fr. Aldino Cazzago.
Pope Benedict XVI’s letter can be found in issue no. 235 of the Communio journal, published by Jaca Book.