Articles About Communio's History and Mission
The Pontificate of John Paul II witnessed a veritable explosion of “new life” in the Catholic
Church around the world, a “new life” that breathes the authentic “spirit of Vatican II.”
Communio: International Catholic Review has been a part of this explosion since its founding in
the early 70s by friends and collaborators of the Pope such as Joseph Ratzinger, Henri de Lubac,
and Hans Urs von Balthasar.
John Paul II unarguably set the Church on the path to the genuine renewal called for by the Second Vatican Council—a renewal that eschews both accommodation to the zeitgeist and
sectarian bitterness in order to let the light of the Gospel shine on the questions, problems, and anxieties of the age. Ever since its inception, Communio has been committed to this program of renewal through return to the sources of the authentic Tradition.
The name of the journal itself bespeaks this commitment. Communio—a term called the key to
the ecclesiology of Vatican II by Cardinal Ratzinger—refers to what is the source, the means, and the goal of the Church’s life: the Trinitarian communion that graciously wills to draw all of creation into its loving embrace through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ that the Spirit keeps perennially present in the communio of the Church and its universal mission.
Wishing to offer sustenance to those seeking a way beyond the frustrating “either-ors” that still
block the true renewal the Pope has called for, Communio strives to let the “symphony” of
Catholic truth resound in its pages—not only for specialists, but also for committed laypersons
concerned for the unity of faith and culture. One can meet them at the many Communio Study Circles that gather around the country for fellowship and reflection on articles or themes from the journal.
Open to the universal Church—14 sister-editions in Europe and Latin America regularly share their articles with us—Communio seeks to turn the spotlight of the Catholic faith on our own country and culture. Readers can also look forward to reprints of memorable, often hard to find short pieces by pioneers of the Catholic renewal such as Bernanos, Blondel, Chesterton, Claudel, Dawson, Day, Delbrêl, Gilson, Guardini, Péguy, Pieper, and others.
Communio is published quarterly in sturdy volumes that strive to provide long-term resources for
reflection, renewal, and mission in the spirit of the Second Vatican Council as interpreted by the Pontificate of John Paul II. We welcome your questions about the journal—and invite you to become part of its ongoing work by subscribing, attending one of the Communio Study Circles, or sending a gift subscription to a friend.
