Projevy mariánské religiozity v České republice - včera a dnes
Manifestations of Marian Devotion in the Czech Republic - past and present

Summary/Abstract: Czech society is considered, together with the society of the former East Germany, as one of the most secularized in the world. The aim of the present paper is thus to sketch in broad outline not only the historical preconditions of this opinion, but also to resume the existing partial results of ethnological research focused on the contemporary changes of religiosity and manifestations of Marian devotion in the Czech Republic after the year 1989. The years 1989 and 1990 brought about radical change in political as well as spiritual history of the Czech Republic. Religion lost its principal enemy – communism. There appeared innumerable forms of religiosity, from the variants of classical Christianity, through its rather deformed forms up to the spiritual schools of the Far East. Some Christians expected after the fall of Communism some sort of return to the idyllic reconciliation between the Church and society, to the situation when religion and its institutional representations would enjoy universal respect and support. Due to the delay caused by Communism, in the Czech Republic had appeared since the 1990s Marian movements that sometimes existed clandestinely in the previous period and sometimes came from abroad. These movements differ from each other in their preferences. Some are based on charity, some propagate spiritual development outside the world, many come out of revelations and stress the need of life based on prayer. On the one hand, in our country exist ancient orders that consider Marian spirituality as inseparable part of their religious experiencing of the world (Dominicans, Franciscans, Premonstratensians etc.); and also new movements closely attached to the Marian devotion (Focolare – Opera di Maria, Schönstatt Movement, Legio Mariae, Order of the Immaculate and others). It is obvious that these movements do not support (at least not publicly) marginal revelations or revelations refuted by the Church. At present in the Czech Republic there are two movements that to the utmost degree influence the (folk) Marian spirituality, also thanks to the high number of priests among their members. These are Marian Movement of Priests and Apostolate of Fatima (Blue Army). Membership of both movements comes mostly from older generation. It is apparent that the situation of liminal Marian devotion attached to private apparitions is in the Czech Republic, in spite of the strong Marian tradition, greatly depends on the situation in the world. This has two principal reasons. First, the import of apparitions is caused by the absence of these apparitions at home. Second, the import of greater movements and groups represents the reaction to the delay of the Communist era and a smaller membership of believers.

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