Vatican cardinal urges Catholic influencers to be ‘witnesses’ in digital world

By Roy Lagarde/CBCP News

A top Vatican official, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, urged “online missionaries” to move beyond content creation and become true witnesses in the digital world.

In an age where misinformation, polarization and isolation often dominate online discourse, digital missionaries are called to offer something different: the light of Christ, said Parolin, the Vatican’s secretary of state.

“You are not only content creators,” Parolin said. “You are witnesses. You are not just building platforms; you are building bridges.”

He made the remarks during the opening of the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers on July 28 at the Auditorium Conciliazione.

About 1,000 participants from 75 countries — including around 30 from the Philippines — gathered for the two-day event, organized by the Vatican Dicastery for Communications.

Parolin called on Catholic voices in the digital sphere to remain “connected to hope” and to offer a presence grounded in truth, charity and humility.

A Christian presence online must promote a culture of encounter, he said, adding that even a short message, when shared with faith and love, “can become a spark of grace.”

He encouraged influencers to root their digital work in prayer, Scripture and the sacraments, drawing spiritual strength from the broader church community.

Parolin also reflected on the evolving role of social media, saying its primary function is to provide information. But what truly defines humanity, he said, is the ability to ask questions — particularly one that looms large today: How can the digital world, which is rapidly reshaping social dynamics, become a vehicle for communicating faith?

The church, he said, has long followed the path of being “in the world, but not of the world,” and must not remain passive amid ongoing cultural shifts.

“Technology is no longer just one tool among many,” he said. “It has become a language, a way of inhabiting the world.”

As such, he urged the church to avoid relying on “pre-established formulas” and instead foster creative approaches to digital engagement.

“To do digital mission,” Parolin said, “means to take on the rhythm, the wounds, the questions and the searching of those who inhabit that space — without yielding to anonymity, superficiality or the temptations of self-promotion.”