Called to Communion

Called to Communion emerged from Joseph Ratzinger's decades as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, where he grappled daily with questions about the nature and boundaries of the Church. Writing in the aftermath of Vatican II's ecclesiological renewal, Ratzinger addresses the tension between the council's emphasis on collegiality and communion while maintaining the Church's essential unity and apostolic structure. The work represents his mature reflection on how the Church understands itself in relation to other Christian communities and to the modern world.

Ratzinger argues that communion is not merely a useful metaphor but the fundamental reality of what the Church is—a participation in the divine life of the Trinity that extends through sacramental bonds across space and time. He distinguishes carefully between the Church as mystery and the Church as institution, showing how visible structures serve the deeper reality of communion rather than constraining it. The book explores how this understanding shapes Catholic approaches to ecumenism, particularly the claim that the Church of Christ "subsists in" the Catholic Church while acknowledging genuine ecclesial elements in other Christian communities. Ratzinger examines the papacy not as an administrative convenience but as a necessary expression of the Church's unity, while addressing how episcopal collegiality functions within this framework. He also considers how local churches relate to the universal Church, arguing against both rigid centralization and loose federalism in favor of a dynamic communion that respects legitimate diversity while maintaining doctrinal coherence.

The work has remained influential because it articulates a sophisticated middle path between pre-conciliar triumphalism and post-conciliar relativism, offering a theological vision that takes seriously both Catholic distinctiveness and ecumenical engagement. Ratzinger's subsequent election as Pope Benedict XVI gave these ideas particular weight in official Catholic teaching and ecumenical relations. Who should read this: Catholics seeking to understand their Church's self-understanding in ecumenical contexts, Orthodox and Protestant theologians engaging seriously with Catholic ecclesiology, and students of Vatican II's ongoing interpretation. This is not an introductory text and assumes familiarity with Catholic theological vocabulary and conciliar documents.