Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, the prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, urged young Filipino Catholics to be Christ-like digital influencers to positively affect others.
“If you are an influencer, ask what influences you... If the one influencing you is Jesus and the Gospel, go right ahead and influence other people through this social media, which is a world in itself, Cardinal Tagle said to the Filipino Delegates at the 37th World Youth Day in Lisbon, Portugal, on August 3.
The prelate spoke of the need for young people to avoid manipulative and controlling false influencers by imitating a good example of bishops and priests.
“Influencers should lead by example and invite bishops, priests, religious, and young people into the fertile ground of ministry and mission in the digital world,” said Tagle.
The cardinal reminded young Catholics that every evangelizer must first be motivated by Jesus and His Gospel. Their influence comes from a personal relationship with Christ. Catholic influencers may change the digital world and combat false goals by following Jesus' teachings.
“Let's learn how to influence, there are different types of influence; others will be influenced through persuasion or attraction. You influence others because you are presenting something attractive, while others influence you by imposing authority,” said Tagle.
As the digital world is a densely populated space where everyone resides, Cardinal Tagle urges the youth of the Philippines to disseminate Jesus' influence on social media.
“This influence encompasses truth, justice, care for the earth, and compassion for fellow human beings,” said Tagle, adding that “Catholic influencers can contribute to a world that is characterized by harmony, community, and respect for diversity by sharing the teachings of Jesus.”
“We are all inhabitants, residents of the digital world. A world that is heavily populated, and all of us inhabit that world,” said the Cardinal. “Please, dear young people of the Philippines, spread the influence of Jesus—the influence of truth, justice, caring for the earth, caring for fellow human beings—in the world called social media.”
World Youth Day 2023 is taking place in Lisbon, the capital and largest metropolis of Portugal. The theme of the Catholic festival in Lisbon is 'Mary arose and went with haste.'
A Catholic official in the Philippines estimated that 1,500 Filipino pilgrims traveled to Portugal for this year's World Youth Day, the world's largest gathering of young Catholics.
Father Jade Licuanan, executive secretary of the Episcopal Commission on Youth, reported that the ECY delegation alone reached nearly 300 participants.
The number of pilgrims exceeded the number of ECY delegates who attended the 2019 WYD in Panama, which was only 99.
"The reliable data is with the local organizing committee in Portugal, but our estimate is between 1,500 and 2,000 pilgrims coming from the Philippines," Licuanan said, as cited in CBCP News. - Leahna Villajos
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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