Joseph Fessio, S.J.: Reflections on the Origins of Communio

The John Paul II Institute in Washington D.C. hosted a conversation with Fr. Joseph Fessio, S.J. on March 27, 2023 titled “Reflections on the Origins of Communio and the Contribution of Several Ressourcement Theologians: In Memory of David L. Schindler.”

Fr. Fessio is in a unique position to reflect on the post-conciliar currents in Catholic theology. He studied under theological giants Joseph Ratzinger, Henri de Lubac, and Hans Urs von Balthasar, who together founded Communio: International Catholic Review in 1972. As founder and editor of Ignatius Press, Fr. Fessio has spent 45 years bringing the profound works of his former teachers (and many others) to an English-speaking audience.

The event is in memory of David L. Schindler (1943-2022), who was a seminary classmate of Fr. Fessio’s in the early ’60s and a former Dean of the John Paul II Institute. Fr. Fessio will share personal and theological reflections on the lives and work of Ratzinger, de Lubac, and Balthasar, and on the significance of the Communio school for Catholic theology.

00:00:00 Introduction given by Dr. David S. Crawford
00:05:30 Friendship with Henri de Lubac
00:12:43 Papal Theological Commission
00:13:53 Origins of Communio in America
00:19:14 How I met Joseph Ratzinger
00:20:38 Seminar with Joseph Ratzinger
00:22:08 Origins of the Communio International Catholic Review
00:23:32 Stories from the Rigi Häuslein
00:43:04 Translating and the origin of Ignatius Press
00:50:34 Q&A
00:53:40 Ferdinand Ulrich
01:02:17 Concilium
01:03:55 Hans Urs von Balthasar
01:11:25 Humanae Vitae
01:14:16 Prayer of the Faithful

Hosted by the Pontifical John Paul II Institute for Studies on Marriage and Family in Washington D.C.

[TomGourlay]

What happens at 1hr12min? Fr Fessio is about to say something very interesting and the films cuts forward.

[kamilziemian]

Father Fessio at some point of this talk call Balthasar's book "Razing of the bastions" a "wonderful book". I read it and in my opinion it has a high emotional tone, but very little substantial content.

[kamilziemian]

Seeing the truly terrible state of the Church today, 2023, I wonder, why so many theologians praised in this talk was so ineffective in preventing devastation of the Church?