Customer Reviews

Called to Communion: Understanding the Church Today

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Of all Cardinal Ratzinger's works, this is my favorite. It touches upon issues of ecclesiology and sacramental theology. In short, Cardinal Ratzinger ties in the Most Blessed Sacrament, the Holy Eucharist, with the Church. Through it, he explores God's covenant with His people. I have long noticed the various double meanings -- one sacramental, the other ecclesiological -- in much of our theological language. Words like "communion" and "Body of Christ" carry the double significance of our communion with one another, as well as our communion with Christ. This book explores both, tying them together in an easy to read, as well as understandable, format.

This is a little book which was not originally a book by intention. Yet it is held together by the internal theme of ecclesial self-identity. It is a little book with a big message.

In any sphere in order to know how something is to function, it is extremely important to understand its origin and purpose. It is no different with the Church. In a confused and confusing world there is need for such a book as this to re-establish and re-invigorate our ecclesial focus. ...And Christ Jesus is its essence and center.

CALLED TO COMMUNION is not necessarily the easiest read because a good part of it was originally directed at individuals(Bishops) who could be assumed to have had some prior knowledge of the subject matter. Still it is worth the time invested, for even the average reader interested in the Church as well, to search out the pearls of wisdom which are assuredly to be found within its pages.

As always the Cardinal writes from an admirably, profound knowledge and depth of faith.

Theologically liberal Protestants and theologically liberal Catholics have distorted the New Testament witness by pushing a false opposition between the Kingdom of God and the Church. They have also ignored the New Testament evidence for the primacy of Peter as first bishop of Rome and for the priesthood of the New Covenant. Fortunately, Cardinal Ratzinger sets the record straight by showing that there is no opposition between the kingdom preached by Jesus and the Church founded by the same Jesus, by documenting the New Testament evidence for the Petrine primacy, and by pointing to the theology of the New Covenant's own priesthood present in the New Testament. All of this is done concisely, precisely, and clearly. This book should be read by any Christian interested in the Church and especially by Catholics. It is a primer on ecclesiology.

I read this as an outsider of the Catholic Faith, but I found it very intriguing, nonetheless. Ratzinger's perspective on the essence and origin of the Church is impossible to dismiss, and the truth in this book, although it's doubtful that the author intended this, exposes huge problems in the (many) Protestant concepts of "church". Although the contents of this book were not originally intended to be presented in book form, the ideas are fluid and clear. A great book. 4 stars only because I'm not (at least not yet) Catholic, and, therefore, there wasn't much practical wisdom I could take from this book.

Called to Communion: Understanding the Church Today starts off with three theology lectures for a course on universal vs. particular Churches for bishops in Brazil, followed by an address to the Synod of Bishops on the priesthood, a talk on ecclesial reform to conclude an annual meeting in Rimini, and finally a homily preached at a seminary in Philadelphia which is added to "clarify once more the spiritual orientation of the whole book" (from the Foreword). All of these events took place in 1990, but the material is as relevant, if not more so, today.

The stated goal in the Foreword of offering "a sort of primer of Catholic ecclesiology" to "bring clarity and help in the crisis of ecclesial consciousness" is fulfilled in spades. The nature of the book and the audiences it was directed toward originally does not allow Cardinal Ratzinger to go into the level of detail I would have like to have seen, but nevertheless he is quite successful at giving the reader a good overview of Catholic ecclesiology, particularly as it relates to the roles of bishops, priests, and the nature of true reform in the Church.

In the first chapter he establishes the origin of the Church in Jesus, of course, by using not only Gospel testimony, but also Paul's doctrine of the Church as the Body of Christ, and the beginnings of Church functioning in the Acts of the Apostles.

Chapter Two deals with Petrine primacy and the unity of the Church. The author acknowledges the ecumenical difficulty of this question, but goes on to solidly show the status of Peter as "Rock", as head of the Twelve, and as keeper of the "keys" which he deals with at the greatest length of the three points. Succession is one of the areas that would have been worth exploring more, but his appeal to early Christian writers Irenaeus and Eusebius is effective, and he hits a home run with this observation: "[I]t is impossible to avoid the idea of succession once the word is transmitted in Scripture is considered to be a sphere open to the future" (p. 67).

The next chapter gets to the heart of the theology lectures: the universal and particular Churches and the role of the bishop. Unsurprisingly, the Eucharist is seen as the heart of ecclesiology - it is the unifying factor. Orthodox and Protestant views are contrasted with each other and the Catholic approach, and the conclusion is reached that "communio is catholic, or it simply doesn't exist at all" (p. 82). The bishopric is traced back to Peter, James, and Paul, and then as now, the bishop is called to be a missionary of the whole Church, not just his local Church, and he must be ready to suffer as his Lord did.

The essence of the priesthood is the topic of the fourth chapter. This is a very full chapter. He bemoans the fact that a new look back tried to justify the priesthood by looking at its biblical roots and deeming it a functional role only. He provocatively states that this view was reached by Reformation-era arguments and exegesis largely nourished by Reformation presuppositions. But while Cardinal Ratzinger recognized that the ministries seemed ill-defined in the early Church, he sees the foundation of ministerial office in apostleship: Jesus sent the apostles and gave them everything they had - he conferred the mission and himself as mission. Apostolic succession is not treated in depth, but he uses solid passages from Acts, Peter, and Corinthians to stress the sacramental nature of bishops and priests. He closes the chapter with some deeply moving reflections of a more spiritual nature (a must read for all priests).

The last chapter deals with renewal of the Church, contrasting futile and authentic reform. It is the best chapter in the book and one I'd like to get in the hands of every Catholic or anyone who wants to understand the pope's authentic view of reform and renewal. A democratic Church that so many long for will never work: "A church based on human resolutions becomes a merely human church. It is reduced to the level of the makeable, of the obvious, of opinion. Opinions replace faith. And in fact, in the self-made formulas of faith with which I am acquainted, the meaning of the words `I believe' never signifies anything beyond `we opine'" (pp. 139-140). True reform is based on a full faith itself in the freedom that the Lord offers which is our true freedom. Reform begins with each person through personal morality (liberation from sin, not guilt), forgiveness (imaging Jesus), and expiation (purification through pain and suffering in communion with Christ).

The epilogue continues the theme of the last chapter, emphasizing the dangers of "factional strife" within the Church, instead calling us to be "coworkers of God" (it is clear where he came up with his episcopal motto "Fellow worker in the truth").

This book is relatively short at 165 pages but very rich. It is worth getting for everyone who wants to understand the authentic mind of the Church as enunciated by the current pontiff.

The recent election of Pope Benedict XVI (previously Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger) has caused there to be increased interest in his writings. "Called to Communion: Understanding the Church Today" was originally written in 1991. In it, Cardinal Ratzinger attempted to offer a "primer of Catholic ecclesiology." It is composed of the texts from three different presentations that he gave during 1990: a theology course for bishops, the opening statement of the Synod for Bishops, and a speech given on the Church and ecclesial reform.

Ratzinger attempts to answer many questions in this volume. Among them are: What is the Church in the first place? What is the purpose of her existence? What is the role of the priesthood? and What can be done to reform the Church? While the text is intended for bishops and there are portions which would be of little interest to anyone else, there are many sections of "Called to Communion" of importance to the larger people of God.

In particular, his arguments for the primacy of the Roman bishops have many implications for ecumenical dialogue. He argues that both Paul and the Johannine tradition make the case for the primacy of Peter. He maintains that Paul introduces Peter as the first witness to the Resurrection. Because witness of that event is considered the prime criteria for apostleship, Peter gains special recognition because he was the first. One might question, of course, how the role of Mary Magdalene might fit into such a scheme since she was the first person the risen Lord actually appeared to. Regardless, one can agree with Ratzinger's assertion that Peter did "enjoy a special position in the circle of the Twelve."

An issue regarding succession does come into play, however, once Peter has died. Ratzinger asserts that "the Church of Rome, where Peter and Paul suffered martyrdom . . . was the standard of the authentic apostolic tradition as a whole." It is interesting to note, especially since he now holds the office, that Ratzinger does not hold the popes themselves in high esteem. Rather, he states that "the men in question are so glaringly, so blatantly unequal to this function that the very empowerment of man to be the rock makes evident how little it is they who sustain the Church but God alone who does so, who does so more in spite of men than through them."

His last section, on efforts to renew the Church, is particularly interesting as well. It becomes apparent that our new pope, while rejecting any efforts at democratizing the Church, does believe that the Church is in need of constant renewal. He understands why people may become frustrated with the Church. The goal of renewal should be to "let in the pure light that comes from above." He states that we need "not a more human, but a more divine Church; then she will also become truly human."

Portions of "Called to Communion" make for rather heavy reading, but it is very interesting to discover what the man who leads the Church believes is the Church's mission, the role of the hierarchy, and its mission for the future.


(...)

In this short book, Cardinal Ratzinger writes paints several images as to what roles different people withing the Church must play, for instance the episcopate, the laity and clergy. He also focuses on the Eucharist and it's importance within the faith.

He analyzes where things have gone wrong and what must be done to correct these deviations. Most often if not always the solution is to reach back to Christ and recapture His intention for what His Church should be.

In particular I found useful the chapter where he elucidates the primacy of Peter not because he was the best and brightest of the apostles, but because he was the one chosen by Jesus for that role.

Ratzinger's prose is beautiful, even in translation. At time's it can be a bit dense, but it's always engaging, and well worth reading with a pen in your hand.

I especailly recommend this book to the "but why can't we" Catholics out there. He answers pretty much every major objection people raise as to why the Church is moving and continues to move in a certain direction and why certain shifts can't happen.

Pope Benedict is a significant scholar and a gifted writer. His work is filled with tenderness. Many are surprised by this because of his previous reputation. Our new Pope has opened doors to communication,;he does so quietly and with modesty. He is unafraid to deal with views which on the surface appear good, but have deep faults. You should not be disappointed reading his work.

Let me say that this is my first book to read of Card. Ratzinger's. This book is worth reading twice, just to follow the development of his argument/teaching better. It's the text of some lectures and notes he prepared for classes back in 1990, along with an awesome homily on being in the Church, not the "party of Christ." He confronts, head on, many modern criticisms and non-Catholic views on the nature of the Church, ecclesiology, the Pope's role, and the NT Priesthood in general. Shows wonderfully how the priesthood is rooted in Christology. Also some great thoughts on nuptual love between Christ and His Church. Worth remembering at Eucharistic Adoration.

Along with that, you get a glimpse of how "fruitful" modern anti-Catholic exegesis can be, in that it forces the Church to go deeper and understand more clearly the truth that she has taught already.

This book is a Pastoral presentation of the birth of the Christian Church and continued responsibilites of the pastors of that Church. Joseph's superior understanding of scripture and history is made apparent. He utilizes both to drive home the point that the earthly sheperds of the Church must have a deep spiritual life and most of all understand that THEY are not the Church. The Church is the body of Christ! He explains how the entire Church, both pastors and laity must work to avoid turning the Church into a religious Party.
Wonderful read that I highly recommend!