Why is the Vatican on the hunt for 'hot priests'?
These men are not just good-looking, they are influencers as well as missionaries, and the Vatican is hoping they will be able to spread the word of God, by using their huge followings on social media, as well as their smouldering good looks to bring the faithful, or wannabe faithful, back to the church in droves.
The phenomenon of 'Hot Priests' taking to social media to spread the word of God, is taking the internet by storm, with the Vatican quick to invite these guys to Rome to discuss how best to influence those of us who have become disillusioned with the Catholic Church, and persuade us back into the fold. Art Campion as Father Peter in Derry Girls. Pic: Peter Marley
Over 1,000 priests and friars arrived in Rome on Monday in a move by church officials to advance efforts to reach the younger generation of would-be worshippers, as mass-going congregations decline massively worldwide.
The arrival of some 1,000 gorgeous God-fearing men of the cloth turned heads on the streets of the Italian capital and in Vatican City yesterday, and if that's an indication of how these men of God could help out their Church, then the Vatican could be on to a winning formula.
These men are already doing God's work in their day-to-day lives, but now they are being asked to use what the good Lord gave them to bring thousands of lapsed Catholics back to the church. Richard Chamberlain in The Thorn Birds. Pic: ABC Photo Archives/Disney General Entertainment Content via Getty Images
Not since the days of Father Ralph in Thornbirds, played by Richard Chamberlain, for those of us of a certain generation, or the young priest in the huge hit sitcom Derry Girls, Father Peter, played by actor Peter Campion, have audiences been hot under the collar for a holy man of God, be he fictional of not.
This has not escaped the notice of the Vatican who are attempting now to use this idea in an effort to lure us back to our knees. (In prayer of course)
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The Irish Sun
15 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
I'm a single mum-of-7 to kids aged 1 to 16 – my ‘no spend' summer holiday days are made so much easier with a £5 B&M buy
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The Journal
a day ago
- The Journal
No, the Vatican didn't summon ‘hot priests' to Rome in a bid to drive up attendance
AT THE START of this week, the Catholic Church marked a first in its nearly 2,000-year history when it welcomed social media influencers to the Vatican. On 28-29 July, the Vatican hosted the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers as part of its wider Jubilee Year celebrations. Jubilee Years happen every 25 years within the Church and the theme of this Jubilee Year is 'Pilgrims of Hope'. Pope Leo XIV has audience with Catholic influencers at the Vatican Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The Church said it wants to highlight the impacts of war, the ongoing effects of Covid-19 pandemic, and the climate crisis and has enlisted an anime-style character called Luce as the Jubilee Year mascot. The Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers was open to people who 'evangelise in the digital environment, sharing the message of the Gospel on social networks'. 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JD Flynn is the founder and editor of The Pillar, an online news site covering the Catholic Church. 'Whatever you think of the Jubilee for Influencers,' he said, 'this is a gross mischaracterisation of it.' People take part in Mass in the Vatican for the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo The Jubilee was open 'to all who evangelise' and included workshops on the 'challenges and opportunities of the Church's mission in the digital age'. It began with Monday Mass in parishes around the Vatican and continued with a series of conferences, reflections, and roundtables. Father David Vard, aged 33, is a priest from Newbridge in Co Kildare, who serves in the Parish of Stradbally, Co Laois. Advertisement Father David Vard appearing on the The Tommy Tiernan Show in 2022 RTÉ RTÉ He arrived in Rome on Tuesday, as the Jubilee for Catholic Influencers was coming to an end. He is in Rome for the Jubilee of Youth, which ended today. While some people within the Church aren't enthused about the Jubilee of Catholic Influencers, Fr Vard remarked that 'that's where people are meeting each other and interacting'. 'Another priest once said to me, 'social media is a good and bad place with good and not so good people, but like any town or village, it also needs priests and religious, so that's where we need to be.' Pope Leo XIV arrives to greet the faithful at the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'If you open TikTok or Instagram and a video comes up talking about Jesus, that can't be a bad thing and it might then become more real to them, so I don't see any reason why we shouldn't be on social media.' When asked about the 'hot priest' angle many news outlets have taken, Fr Vard said he's not sure where it came from. 'To be honest, I think maybe it got lost in translation,' said Fr Vard. 'They wanted online figures who can 'attract' people to the faith by being articulate on social media, and all of a sudden people are talking physically attractive people and about 'hot priests' and the priest from the TV show Fleabag. 'But it's grabbing headlines and people are talking about it so that's good, and maybe we can use it to our advantage. 'But it's not about the person and how they look, it's about how they get across their message.' Meanwhile, over the course of the Jubilee of Youth, up to a million people came to Rome for the event and Fr Vard said it is rejuvenating to be at such a gathering. Youths attend a service in St Peter's Square on Thursday as part of the Jubilee of Youth. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo 'We had Mass on Tuesday evening and Pope Leo XIV made a surprise appearance. 'I was sitting among hundreds of priests and the average age was probably around my age, priests in their 30s, and then the Pope arrived and we were like school boys running to greet him. 'I think in Ireland, priests are seen as the 'old man' – you can't have fun, you can't do anything. 'And we're all there, just so excited to see the Pope and all these young people who are so excited about their faith. 'We need more of that, and we priests are human too and we get excited and passionate about things and I think it was good to celebrate that.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
The Irish Sun
a day ago
- The Irish Sun
Pope Leo gets rockstar welcome as 1 million young devotees gather for ‘Catholic Woodstock'
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