Fraternidade e diálogo inter-religioso na experiência do Movimento dos Focolares.

Abstract

The present investigation aims to highlight the experiences of fraternity and interreligious dialogue in the Focolare Movement, in order to appreciate the forms and methodologies of dialogue experienced by them, as well as the fruits, obstacles and challenges that the dialogical relationship raises and the overcoming possibilities using the fraternity principle. The Focolare Movement was born within the Catholic Church during World War II and has as its charism unity and universal fraternity. It works to build a world united to ut omnes, that is, “all one”, with dialogue as a starting point. For the good progress of our research, we first entered the discussion of the construction of dialogue, the recognition of intersubjectivity and the sense of interdependence, in this way we analyze the etymology of the dialogue as well as the contribution of authors who address the theme, showing fundamental aspects to the establishment of the dialogue, namely: reciprocity, intersubjectivity and silence. Then, we investigate interreligious dialogue and its importance in contemporary society, as well as its foundations, dynamism, rights and responsibilities. Subsequently, we entered the documents of the Catholic Church, conciliar and post-conciliar, which promote and encourage interreligious dialogue throughout history, understanding them as important not only for Christian Catholics, but for the changing world. Then we highlight and deepen the essential concepts of fraternity as an indispensable condition for interreligious dialogue, as well as the effects of fraternity on religion. Being essential for the investigation of interreligious dialogue in the Focolare Movement as a result of the experience of the charism, the method par excellence, and the various dialogues enhanced by this spirituality. We concluded our investigation with presentation and analysis of the data obtained in the interviews with members of the Focolare Movement, which were essential in discovering the most genuine contributions of this Catholic Movement to dialogue in the current world, which are the concrete actions of fraternity, a dialogue built with life. Our methodological path took place through documentary research considering the bibliographic production mainly of the official documents of the Catholic Church and doctrines that faced this theme. The theoretical investigation provided an epistemological review in order to deepen and obtain necessary subsidies for the construction of the research. Finally, we conducted semi-structured interviews with members of the Focolare Movement, to analyze the interviews we used the content analysis methodology. We conclude that the fraternity experienced in the Focolare Movement provides an authentic and effective interreligious dialogue based on love, without proselytism and without giving up the freedom and autonomy of each human being.