The cross : How do you think the Church institution perceives Catholic influencers on social networks?
Father Renaud Laby: Between the Catholic authority and these influencers, we are in two completely different worlds and very different generations who do not have the same cultural and media references. The cultural gap is wide between those who grew up in a culture of writing on the one hand and those who were cradled in a culture of images, coupled with a culture of the Internet on the other. I think that the bishops can therefore be a little powerless in the face of this phenomenon.
In my opinion, the institution perceives the limits of the exercise of these influencers, which escapes it, but, at the same time, it rejoices in their presence because they do what it itself is not able to produce. This meeting of influencers, which was held at the Conference of Bishops of France (CEF), Friday, September 23, is undoubtedly a way for the institution not to lose control, without necessarily seeking to establish control. .
Can the institution be embarrassed by the speeches of these influencers who, for some, have a very large audience?
P. R. L. : Yes, by the way, a few months ago, the CEF had gathered priests present on TikTok. It was to help them discern what they were really doing when they expressed themselves on this social network. The Catholic Church, which is an institution of control, finds itself somewhat helpless in the face of the surge of the Internet and the possibility offered to all to express themselves as Catholics, whereas the code of canon law specifies that in order to speak in name, it requires a mandate from the authority.
However, these influencers have no mandate. The law is thus completely exceeded from this point of view. Some, however, received a particular mission, like Brother Paul Adrien d’Hardemare from the Dominicans. In fact, the Church oscillates between apprehension and the ability to rejoice in this presence, especially since, since John Paul II, the popes have affirmed that the Gospel must be announced on the Internet.
Can there be a form of competition between the magisteriums, when certain influencers sometimes have more audiences than certain bishops?
P. R. L. : It is obvious that there can be competition between the magisteriums. A few years ago, I had done a search in the national press and I had noticed that the names of some of the most read bloggers appeared less often than that of the president of the CEF or the archbishop of Paris. but far more often than most French bishops. Nevertheless, the authority perceives with interest that these influencers carry a Christian word in the public sphere.
Can we measure the real audience of Catholic influencers? Do they really reach a public far removed from the Church who would not dare to knock on the doors of the parishes?
P. R. L. : I think their influence remains relatively limited to the Catholic sphere. We lack serious studies. It is very difficult to estimate their scope. Apart from the comments under the videos, it is difficult to pin down the profiles of the young people affected by these Catholic influencers. Some, few, can cross algorithmic boundaries.
What concerns me is that we most often remain in the distribution of content. That’s very good, but what gives access to faith is first of all an encounter. The magisterium utters a very interesting word: the first proclamation is first of all a testimony of what the Gospel has changed in my life. There can then be a deepening and dissemination of the doctrine. Christianity should not be seen only as a doctrine to be integrated.
Can the ecclesial institution support, or even exercise a form of control?
P. R. L. : It has every interest in accompanying them, inviting them to reflect on their practices by giving them theological resources, training perhaps, so that they can take a step back from what they are doing. Because, for these influencers, there may be a risk of starification. By trying to capture attention by all possible means, we can be in the staging of ourselves.
It is not new that Catholics express themselves: at the end of the 19th century, the bishops were moved to see that the faithful spoke in the newspapers. But what is new today is that it is now a mass phenomenon. We must support this movement as well as possible, but controlling it is quite simply impossible.