A eclesiosfera católica: pertença diferenciada

Taking as a starting point the data from the survey “Religious identities in Portugal: representations, values and practices”, the present study seeks to characterise the Catholic population from a dual perspective: how it differs from other religious positions, and its internal plurality, considering the rhythms of Sunday practice and the forms of involvement in the communities. Constituting an ‘ecclesiosphere’ – from the innermost circles to those on the periphery of identification – Portuguese Catholicism reveals a strong cultural involvement in Portuguese society. This involvement does not come across in the figure of a compact Catholicism, but reveals itself in a plurality of modes of belonging – socially visible, but often invisible in the logic of the pastoral action of Catholic institutions.