Catholic Influencers. Fit, pious, viral: Vatican promotes faith with "hot" priests.
Muscular and handsome: The Vatican relies on attractive priest influencers to inspire more people to join the Church. They primarily come from Italy.
Catholic priests also train their biceps. In a video on TikTok, Father Ambrogio Mazzai can be seen lifting a 20-kilo dumbbell. With his back to the wall and both arms stretched, he repeatedly lifts it up and down. Mazzai hardly looks strained; he seems to be at the gym quite often. He's apparently steeling himself there for the next service: "Training to lift the large Host" suddenly appears as text in the video.
Father Mazzai has almost half a million followers on TikTok and Instagram. That's a high number for a priest influencer. Not even that many people live in the Diocese of Verona, where Mazzai is a priest.
Adapting to the Zeitgeist
His followers love him. Some praise the "creativity" of his videos and his "wise words" when he expounds on a Bible psalm on camera. But his athletic appearance in particular seems to be well-received: "What a handsome man our Father is!" commented one follower. And another: "You are truly very handsome and elegant!"
From the "Letters" of Saint Ambrose, Bishop
(Letters 2:1-2, 4-5; PL 16:847-881)
You have received the priesthood, and standing at the stern of the Church, you guide the ship on the waves. Hold fast the helm of faith so that the violent storms of this world cannot disturb its course. The sea is truly great, boundless; but do not be afraid...
Therefore, not without reason, amid the many currents of the world, the Church stands firm, built on the apostolic rock, and stands on her unshakable foundation against the raging sea. She is battered by the waves but is not shaken, and although the elements of this world often break and echo with a great roar, she nevertheless has a most secure harbor of safety where she can welcome the weary. Yet if it is tossed by the waves on the sea, it also flows on rivers, especially on those rivers of which it is said: "The rivers have lifted up their voice" (cf. Ps 92:3). There are rivers that flow from the heart of those who have been quenched by Christ and have received the Spirit of God. These rivers, when overflowing with spiritual grace, lift up their voice.
There is also a river that pours out upon its saints like a torrent. Whoever has received from the fullness of this river, like the evangelist John, like Peter and Paul, lifts up his voice; and just as the apostles spread the voice of the evangelical preaching with festive proclamation to the ends of the earth, so too this river begins to proclaim the Lord. Receive it, therefore, from Christ, so that your voice too may be heard.
Gather the water of Christ, that water that praises the Lord. Gather from many places the water that the clouds of prophets drop. Whoever gathers water from the mountains and channels it toward himself, or draws it from springs, like the clouds, pours it out upon others. Fill the depths of your soul with it, so that your soil may be watered and irrigated by its own springs.
The Catholic Church could certainly use attractive priest influencers these days who make the Christian religion cool again. According to the German Bishops' Conference, 321,611 people left the church in this country last year. Meanwhile, only 1,839 new members joined.
This mission for the Father's business always takes me to wonderful places and with equally important people
Young people, in particular, can no longer be reached solely from the pulpit. The church must adapt to the zeitgeist: On social media, clergy can appear more approachable and authentic. Moreover, they often have a reach that many Christian congregations can only dream of.
The Vatican is aware of this. Therefore, last week it invited over a thousand church influencers and digital missionaries to the Catholic World Youth Meeting in Rome. The focus was on how social media can promote evangelization.
The influencers came from all over the world. They are young, familiar with social media trends, and also pay attention to their appearance. After all, those who look good get more attention on social media. Especially in Italy, there seem to be priest influencers like Father Ambrogio Mazzai who stand out for their good looks. However, not all of them are as young as their followers.
The "Bodybuilder Priest"
Father Giuseppe Fusari, known in Italy as the "Bodybuilder Priest," is 58 years old. His parish is located in the Lombardy city of Brescia. On Instagram, Fusari usually appears in a tight, short-sleeved collar, beneath which toned pecs peek through. If he weren't already a priest, he could easily pass as a fitness influencer.
Looking back in time makes one glimpse minute details that mark the passage, not just time: in itself, time flows and grows old; passages are signs that are wanted or endured, never suffered. Perhaps it is suffered at the first instant but the passage is such when it becomes conscious, when it is not something that just happens but is experienced. Time grows old, passages also have the power to rejuvenate, especially within, to bring unforeseen things back into play, to untie the past and project it into the future.
#motivation #time #passages #future #maturity #spirit
Around 60,000 people already follow him on Instagram. In his videos, he interprets the Gospels, shares spiritual thoughts with his followers, and occasionally talks about El Greco's paintings or the architecture of a cathedral. Fusari is also a trained art historian and writer.
But he doesn't always act clerically. In one photo, he poses in a skin-tight T-shirt, revealing his tribal tattoos. A user reacts by posting a love-struck smiley and commenting: "Today I want to go to confession!"
Fusari doesn't share pictures from the gym; he often films himself in Church. Nevertheless, his appearance is never left uncommented in any post. "I've never seen a well-trained priest with tattoos and fashionable bracelets. Hats off, Father!" writes one person. Another calls him "Father Squat."
Priest or model influencer?
Father Cosimo Schena from Brindisi in Apulia also keeps himself in top physical shape. His beard is neatly shaved, and his regular gym membership is clearly visible. In addition to videos with short sermons and life lessons, he also uploads professional photoshoots of himself. He poses like a Versace model in a tailored collar shirt and black patent leather shoes. He enjoys cuddling his dogs or strolling along the Adriatic coast.
Today is not just any day. It's the day heaven decided to entrust me with two four-legged angels. Two pure hearts, two faithful souls, two gazes that speak without words.
Tempesta, with your rebellious sweetness, you taught me that even the strongest wind can caress the soul. Baloo, with your silent and profound presence, you are the guardian of peace, the brother every creature would want by their side.
You are part of my vocation, my smile, my difficult days and my peaceful nights.
You are family, companions on the journey, visible signs of God's invisible love. I love you more than words can say.And I thank you for every step, every look, every wait at the door.
Because you don't speak... but you know how to say everything.
🎂 Best wishes, my little great miracles.
May God continue to bless your every day.
And may our adventure together... never end. ❤️🐶🐶
#TempestaEBaloo #HappyBirthdayPuppies #LoveThatHugs #DonCosimoSchena #AngelsWithTails #GodSpeaksTooLikeThis
Father Schena has half a million followers on Instagram alone. There, he calls himself "the poet of God's love." The Italian daily newspaper "La Repubblica" has already described him as "Italy's most popular priest on social media."
"We need the Church as a corrective"
Whether his popularity has inspired people to embrace the Christian faith cannot be definitively verified. But Father Schena claims to have observed a change in his own congregation. Attendance at his Church has doubled since he became an influencer on Facebook and TikTok, he told the "Corriere della sera."
The current top Catholic influencer is the Holy Father himself. Pope Leo XIV has 14 million Instagram followers and more than 52 million followers in nine languages on his @Pontifex-X account.
Sometimes life puts us in front of doors that close without warning. It leaves us there, with our hearts in our hands and a thousand unanswered questions. But it's not the end.
It's just a passage. A training session for heaven.
It takes strength. It takes courage. It takes a fixed gaze on the truth, even when everything seems dark.Because God never closes a door without having already prepared for you a brighter path, a truer encounter, a dream greater than yours.
Don't stop where life has stopped. Don't stay where you felt left out. Keep walking, even with tears .Because the Lord never disappoints those who hope. And he always has something more beautiful in store for you. You don't see it yet. But He does.
If these words have touched something inside you, don't keep them to yourself.
💬 Tell me in the comments what you're going through.
❤️ Put a heart if you've felt called.
🔁 Share it with someone who needs to knowthat this isn't the end, but the beginning of something more beautiful.
God also speaks like this: through a phrase, a sharing, a small gesture of love.
#strength #truth #resilience #Godisinthemeantime #trust #closeddoors
#wordsoflight #believe #dontgiveup #GodiswithYou #nevergiveup #letyourselfbeloved #heartswords #spiritualreflections #towardthelight #messagesofhope #lightinthestorm #christiansinthenetwork #livingwithGod #spirituality #truevocation #Godloveseveryone #pathoffaith #doncosimoschena #thoughtsoftheheart #beautifulthingscome #neverabandoned #whenGodclosesadoor #newlife
Christian missionary work on social media could develop even further in the future. The number of followers of Catholic influencers is already growing. What fascinates users about them is that they break with the image of the priest as a conservative, strict moralizer. Instead, they want to appear as modern men of God who are on equal footing with their followers. They chat about religious topics in everyday language and look charming even in their cassocks. And they don't always take themselves too seriously – like Father Ambrogio Mazzai.
Jogging against vices
In one of his videos, he's jogging on a treadmill. He's panting under two iron chains around his neck. "Living with Sin" appears in yellow letters.
Then there's a cut and a new image. Don Ambrogio is still on the treadmill, but the chains are gone. Now he's practically flying across the belt, fast and with great leaps. The phrase "Living a life in God's forgiveness" appears, accompanied by Tyrolean folk music. "How did I end up here?" one user comments.
Even if it can lead to misunderstandings, the Church must rise to the missionary challenge of the internet, explained Monsignor Lucio Ruiz, Vatican Secretary for Communications. "The language may change, but the message remains the same – that of Jesus."
Perhaps Jesus Christ himself was history's first influencer. He traveled through Galilee, preaching to people about faith in God, and thus building his following. Today, he would probably also create a profile on TikTok.
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