Vatican's secret weapon in digital era to attract new believers: “charismatic priests” on Instagram, Tiktok and Facebook
At a time when religious participation is declining in many parts of the world, a group of Catholic priests in Italy and other countries resort to social networks to revitalize the connection between the Church and young people. With the support of the Vatican, they explore new forms of communication meant to maintain the relevance of faith in the 21st century, writes The Wall Street Journal.
Father Ambrogio Mazzai/ Photo: Instagram
An example in this regard is Father Ambrogio Mazzai, an Italian priest who, by his active presence on Tiktok and Instagram, has attracted hundreds of thousands of followers. The images with him playing the guitar, ride the bicycle or reflecting on the outdoor faith are distributed almost daily to his over 460,000 followers.
“It all started in 2021, at the suggestion of a young man in the parish”said Father Mazzai. “At first I was skeptical, but I did not expect to have such a great impact.”
Its popularity – and other active priests online – will be subject to discussions within a conference organized in Rome, July 28-29. The event brings together about 1,000 digital missionaries and Catholic influences from all over the world, in the context of the Vatican's Jubilee year. Main theme: How the Church can use platforms such as Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook or blogs to expand their message and combat the decline of religious participation.
A means of strategic communication
Ewtn News Vatican editor, Francis X Rocca, stressed the importance of social networks for the future of the church. “The innovation will not come from the communication offices of the Vatican or from the eparchies, but from the young people who already experience new forms of religious expression”he said.
The idea of using social networks as an essential communication tool has been supported since Pope Francis's pontificate, whose digital content has registered over 27 billion views in 2020. Its successor, Pope Leon XIV, is also active online, with 14 million followers on Instagram and over 52 million on the X Platform (former TWitter).
An unconventional approach
In parallel, other members of the clergy adopt a direct, visible approach that brings them popularity. Father Giuseppe Fusari, a 58 -year -old priest from the Italian city of Brescia, is known as the “bodybuilding priest”. Photos with him in the room or in casual clothes brought him over 60,000 followers and numerous comments, equally admiring and curious.
“Most of my followers are between 25 and 55 years old. There are people who have moved away from religion, but now look at the church with interest. I think social networks can be a connection bridge.”said the Fusari Father.
The public's response is generally positive, although there have been cases in which some superiors discouraged priests from posting images from holidays or from the room. However, even these examples have opened a dialogue about the relationship between image, spirituality and tradition.
In a comment received by Father Fusari, a user asks him about the position of the church towards tattoos. His answer: “There is no official document that condemns the tattoos. The church has not expressed against them by dogmas or documents. Each is free to think as they consider.”
An impact still difficult to measure
Official data on the effects of online presence on participation in jobs are not available, but some priests indicate a notable growth of interest from the community. Father Cosimo Schena, from the parish of San Francesco in Brindisi, told the daily Corriere della Sera that the number of those who participate in his jobs was doubled after he started using Tiktok and Facebook.
