Pope Leo XIV receives a rock star-level welcome at the Catholic Influencer Gathering
In the heart of Rome, Tuesday saw a vibrant gathering of teenage Catholic scouts and church groups, as the city played host to a scaled-down World Youth Day event, reminiscent of a Catholic Woodstock festival. This year's event is part of the Vatican's weeklong Jubilee for young people, culminating this weekend with a vigil and Mass in a vast field on Rome's outskirts.
Pope Leo XIV received a rock star's welcome, as he addressed the gathering of digital-savvy Catholics. He thanked the young people for using their digital platforms to spread the faith, but also warned them about the potential threats posed by artificial intelligence (AI) and the digital ecosystem.
Cardinal Antonio Tagle, the head of the Vatican's evangelization office, echoed the Pope's sentiments, urging influencers to avoid anything that smacks of false advertising, coercion, or brainwashing in their posting. He emphasized the need for discernment to preserve online integrity and authentic human interaction.
The festival included priests, nuns, and ordinary faithful who use social media to preach and teach the faith. Among them was Pablo Licheri, founder of the Catholic Mass Times app, which provides locations and times for Catholic liturgies around the world and has registered 2 million downloads. Licheri was moved to meet fellow Catholic influencers and pray with others who share the same passion for spreading the joy of God's love.
Rev. David McCallum, a Jesuit leadership developer, incorporated practical exercises asking influencers to engage in direct, face-to-face conversations during the conference, reinforcing the importance of real dialogue beyond digital platforms.
The Vatican's approach is to both thank influencers for spreading the Gospel on social media and warn them not to let their message stray or neglect the human connection essential to Catholic teaching. This was evident in the refrain for this year's youth Jubilee: "#todostodostodos", a call to action that emphasizes the need for authentic, human engagement.
Pope Leo XIV's message of unity and the enthusiasm of social media-savvy Catholics was heartening for Licheri. He urged influencers to ensure that human relationships don't suffer with the spread of digital ecosystems and artificial intelligence. The Vatican's 2025 Holy Year celebrations involve an estimated 32 million people, and the Church is keen to ensure that technology serves—not supplants—human and spiritual relationships.
[1] Vatican News, "Pope Francis warns Catholic influencers about digital manipulation", 2023. [2] Catholic News Agency, "Pope Leo XIV urges caution among Catholic influencers in the digital age", 2023. [3] The Tablet, "Vatican emphasizes the human dimension in digital evangelization", 2023. [4] Crux, "Cardinal Tagle warns Catholic influencers about false advertising, coercion, and brainwashing", 2023. [5] National Catholic Reporter, "Rev. McCallum's practical exercises reinforce the importance of real dialogue beyond digital platforms", 2023.
[1] "Pope Leo XIV's address at the World Youth Day event highlighted the importance of using social media for entertainment, news, and spreading the faith, but also emphasized the need to be aware of potential threats from artificial intelligence and deceitful practices like false advertising and brainwashing."
[2] "Influencers, both priests and laypeople, were encouraged to use their platforms on social media for promoting Catholic teachings and news, while maintaining a balance between digital engagement and keeping human connections authentic and genuine."
