Mixing prayer and gospel with poetry, art and bodybuilding, the rising stars in the influencer world are not just those flaunting fashion and travel but also Roman Catholic priests spreading the word of God.
Pope Francis latched on to the trend and, just months before his death in April, made the mission of evangelising on social media a priority for the church.
Now, 1,000 priests and friars from all over the world are preparing to meet in Rome for the first holy gathering dedicated to digital missionaries and Catholic influencers. It is part of the jubilee, a year-long period of reflection and penance organised by the church every 25 years.
Among those attending the 28-29 July event will be Father Cosimo Schena, the suave priest of San Francesco church in the southern Italian city of Brindisi. He became known as “the poet of God’s love” after publishing spiritual poems across his social media accounts and amassing more than 450,000 followers on Instagram.
Schena, 46, is also known for welcoming animals to his parish and in a reel featuring his two dogs he wrote how God’s love and healing could be transmitted “through a wagging hug” or “a paw resting on your sadness”. The priest became more active on social media in 2022 as a way to spread peace and positivity after the pandemic.
His evangelisation has not just made him an internet star, he has achieved his aim of attracting more people to mass.
“Not just people who live locally,” Schena told the Guardian. “There are people who come from other parts of Italy and even other countries. Some simply come to say hello, but the important thing is to deliver a beautiful and credible testimony, and to spread God’s universal language of love. I get lots of messages from people seeking help and comfort, and not just from those who believe in God.”
Among the influencer clerics expected to attend the jubilee event, which is aimed at Catholic youth, is Father Giuseppe Fusari, a tattooed priest at a church in the northern city of Brescia, who combines his passions – art history and bodybuilding – to share God’s message. Another expected participant, Stefano Maria Bordignon, a friar known online as FraStefano, uses YouTube to read and comment on the gospel. “Following him is like going to mass every day,” wrote the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.
Father Ambrogio Mazzai, a priest who imparts church teachings alongside photos of himself playing the guitar or holding a glass of wine, won’t be attending the event as he has to preside over a wedding and a baptism. But, the 34-year-old said, the key to his success was keeping his content brief. “I share messages of faith or reflection – sometimes provocative, sometimes ironic,” he added. “You have to communicate concisely and in a way that attracts attention – so no great long sermons.”
