PROJECT
SUMMARY

The project is defined by the research, identification, and recognition of the elements and modes of influence of the co-responsible action of Catholic believers, emerging from the context of the ecclesial community, on social cohesion and well-being. That is, it is oriented toward a critical theological-practical discernment of both the positive and the problematic components of Christian action within the context of the Church community and in relation to the socio-cultural environment. The research involves identifying and recognizing the components of co-responsible and cohesive action carried out by priests, religious men and women, and lay faithful within the ecclesial community itself, and subsequently examining the dynamics and effects of this action with regard to the cohesion of society as a whole.

These components of Christian action in relation to society are examined within several targeted areas of activity, that is, specific subthemes. In this sense, the project proposal is focused on researching the activity of the parish community as the regular and most concrete pastoral structure of the Church, with particular attention given to the areas of co-responsibility and synodality. In addition, the project research encompasses several related thematic areas, that is, fields of activity—more specifically, the pastoral care of marriage and family, popular piety, catechesis, Caritas, school pastoral care, as well as pastoral-psychological counseling and support. All of these subthemes are studied to identify the characteristics of Christian action as it proceeds from the context of the ecclesial community toward society.

Concerning the Christian contribution to cohesion within the socio-cultural context, the research will place particular emphasis on interdisciplinary philosophical-theological analysis and evaluation of various indicators of Christian influence in that context. The study aims to identify and analyze the dynamics and repercussions of the constructive influence of Christians on different segments of social coexistence in a multicultural society in which the Catholic presence plays a significant role. Since the concrete living of faith and pastoral activity in the above-mentioned areas inevitably produce socio-cultural effects, these effects will form the backbone of the research, and their discernment will run through all components of the project.

Project duration: 1 October 2025 – 30 September 2029.

The project is funded by the European Union through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP) 2021–2026, mechanism 581.