Vatican turns to 'hot' Instagram priests to recruit new followers
One of the handsome Catholic priests who regularly posts selfies online, is Father Don Ambrogio Mazzai.
Image: Instagram
The Vatican is convening over 1,000 priests, friars, and lay digital communicators in Rome this week, aiming to explore how social media platforms like TikTok, Instagram, blogs and apps can bolster outreach and help reconnect with a younger demographic.
The initiative is part of a broader Jubilee of Youth programme, which begins on July 28, 2025 and includes a dedicated segment on Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers.
Leading the way are a few photogenic clerics whose large online followings aren’t just about appearances - they represent a new wave of evangelisation.
Influencer priests making waves online
Father Giuseppe Fusari, 58-year-old from Brescia, is both a classically trained art historian and a bodybuilding priest with more than 60,000 Instagram followers.
Father Giuseppe Fusari, has more than 60,000 Instagram followers.
Image: Instagram
Fusari believes that social media “is one way to attract people,” aiming to bring viewers closer to the Church through a mix of gym selfies, scripture and personal reflections
Father Cosimo Schena, 46, of Brindisi, has amassed over 450,000 Instagram followers. He shares spiritual poetry, pictures with his rescue dog “Storm” and has seen parish attendance double since going viral online. He’s often hailed as “Italy’s most beloved priest.”
Father Cosimo Schena, 46, of Brindisi, has over 450,000 Instagram followers
Image: Instagram
Father Ambrogio Mazzai, 34, blends music, cycling and a poet’s heart into his digital ministry. With around 460,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok, his brief, upbeat posts deliver spiritual reflections mixed with guitar riffs and everyday snapshots.
Followers frequently gush: “What a beautiful guy our Father is,” and “You are very beautiful and elegant”. These influencers highlight how authenticity and accessibility are rewriting the Church’s playbook on communication.
Father Ambrogio Mazzai, 34, has over 460,000 followers across Instagram and TikTok
Image: Instagram
Church strategy and broader vision
The summit builds on a strategy initiated by Pope Francis, who emphasised digital outreach in his final months, and continues under Pope Leo XIV, who regularly uses platforms like X to share messages with his nearly 19 million followers.
Church insiders explain that the event includes practical training, covering content creation, ethics, and concise messaging, a shift away from traditional long sermons in favour of brief, relatable formats.
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