Thousands of digital missionaries and young Catholics arrived in Rome this week to discuss the role of social media and how young believers can drive change.
As part of this, the Vatican is seeking the help of “hot priests” to spread the good word.
Father David Vard, a 33-year-old Irish priest at the Jubilee in Rome said it is important for the Church to engage with people at all levels of society.
“[Social media] is where people are meeting these days, and that’s where we need to be,” he told Newstalk Breakfast.
“A priest who uses social media a lot more than I use it once said it can be a bad neighbourhood, it can be a good neighbourhood, but every neighbourhood needs a church, it needs a priest.
“When Jesus was walking the earth, he went to the marketplace; that’s where he met people.
“I think [social media] is where Jesus would encounter people.”
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However, Fr Vard said that there is a risk of prioritising likes and attention over a dedication to spreading the word of god.
“One of the things that was being talked about at that conference for Catholic influencers is the idea of, you know, why are we doing this?” he said.
“If you just keep spreading the good news, the gospel at the heart of why we’re doing it, it doesn’t matter about the likes, it doesn’t matter about the trolls.”
Connection
According to Fr Vard, it is important to remind young people how they can connect with each other through the Church.
“We had a mass last night, where there were hundreds of thousands of people in the square,” he said.
“Pope Leo made an appearance and he lit up the place.
“I mean, I don’t know could I compare him to the likes of Taylor Swift, but if Taylor Swift appeared at St Peter’s Square, I don’t think she would have got such a round of applause as Pope Leo did last night.”
Main image: A priest saying mass at a church in France, 28-3-21. Image: robertharding / Alamy
