Ruch Focolari wobec współczesnego kryzysu tożsamości

Abstrakt

The Focolari movement – one of the largest, dynamically developed, international, Catholic movements of revitalization – was in the period of years (1995-2000) the subject matter of research. The research made use of a number of qualitative methods. Thus the process of creating a collective identity was reconstructed. Moreover, the organizational actions were shown as regards the presentation and promotion of the specific appeal to convert, and its related patterns of involvement and social identities.

The Focolari movement was established as a result of individual quest after an alternative form of religious commitment within the Catholic Church. This individual quest was then transformed into a collective quest. The process of initial conversion of a fellowship had brought about foundations for the collective identity and a common mission of the movement. Under the leadership of a charismatic leader it was developed and referred to the post-conciliar reforms of Catholicism and the problems of modern societies. By virtue of an effective organization, with the use of modern means of communication, the movement extends its appeal for a multicultural, interfaith, world-view dialogue, and cooperation in the private and public spheres. It disseminates also alternative patterns of religious and lay social identities, which supplement of the offer of conventional religious and lay institutions.