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Catholic priests in PH turn TikTok into virtual pulpit

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Mikhail Flores and Lucille Sodipe, Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2021/afp/04/23/father.jpg"/><figcaption>This photo taken on March 28, 2021 shows Philippine priest Fiel Pareja gesturing during an interview in front of a church in Angeles City, Pampanga province, north of Manila. As the coronavirus pandemic forced the Catholic-majority country&#x27;s faithful online, tech-savvy priests turned the popular video-sharing platform TikTok into a virtual pulpit to connect with young believers. <em>STR / AFP</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA -- After delivering sermons and visiting slums, Philippine priest Fiel Pareja tends to his Gen-Z flock on TikTok, creating videos of himself praying, dancing and lip-syncing Christian pop music for 1.6 million followers.</p><p>As the coronavirus pandemic forced places of worship to close across the Catholic-majority country, tech-savvy priests like Pareja turned the popular video-sharing platform into a virtual pulpit to connect with young believers. </p><p>Pareja spends up to six hours a night in his room in a presbytery north of Manila recording short videos for TikTok -- snatching a few hours sleep before starting his real-world pastoral work.</p><p>The challenge is to create content that is relatable, creative and &quot;not boring,&quot; said the 30-year-old, who was ordained just weeks before the COVID-19 outbreak sent the country into a months-long lockdown.</p><p>Wearing a black cassock and clerical collar, Pareja recites Bible verses and offers prayers in English and Tagalog on everything from fighting anxiety to the restoration of democracy in Myanmar. </p><p>In other videos, he dances and lip-syncs to a Christian version of Zedd and Alessia Cara&#x27;s song &quot;Stay.&quot;</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1652611" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div><p>Pareja&#x27;s unorthodox evangelizing has resonated on the platform, a favorite of Generation Z. </p><p>His more than 670 videos have each been liked tens of thousands of times and earned him the nickname &quot;Father TikTok.&quot;</p><p>&quot;I believe social media can help us reach out to the youths of today,&quot; said Pareja, who counts Muslims, Protestants and Methodists among his online followers. </p><p>&quot;It&#x27;s a never ending preparation and content creation. But this makes me happy and fulfilled knowing that people get their spiritual needs (met).&quot;</p><p>His ever-growing fan base includes Erica Jacaba, a 20-year-old lapsed Catholic in the central province of Bohol.</p><p>Jacaba said she draws comfort from Pareja&#x27;s prayers, which she watches when she has enough money to pay for extra mobile phone data. </p><p>&quot;Father Fiel&#x27;s prayers erase my sadness, the stresses I feel with myself,&quot; Jacaba said. &quot;I have peace of mind.&quot;</p><div><strong> &#x27;CYBERMISSION&#x27; ESSENTIAL</strong></div><p>As Asia&#x27;s bastion of Catholicism marks 500 years since the arrival of Christianity in the archipelago, the church remains a strong influence in the lives of many Filipinos. Around 80 percent of the population describes themselves as Catholic and many practice their faith fervently.</p><p>But Luciano Felloni, a popular Catholic influencer and parish priest in Manila, fears interest among young people is waning. </p><p>He said TikTok and other social media platforms have become important tools to keep the religious institution relevant. </p><p>&quot;I think it is essential. The church should be fully present in the cybermission,&quot; said the 47-year-old Argentinian who has lived in the Philippines for more than 20 years. </p><p>Felloni records and uploads TikTok videos for his more than 11,000 followers with advice on how to have a positive outlook -- often straight after finishing his morning jog while still wearing sweaty sports clothes.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/video/news/04/01/21/almusalita-priest-uses-tiktok-for-evangelization">&#x27;Almusalita&#x27;: Priest uses TikTok for evangelization</a></li></ul><p>&quot;My learning on social media is authenticity keeps people following you,&quot; Felloni said.</p><p>&quot;I try to do it as I am and where I am. Spontaneity is very important.&quot; </p><p>Felloni started posting videos on Facebook in 2016 before migrating to TikTok during last year&#x27;s lockdown after he realized it was the preferred platform for many youngsters. </p><p>&quot;You cannot find them anymore in Facebook -- they left already because Facebook has been taken over by the grandmothers and their mothers,&quot; he said.</p><p>Felloni now leads efforts in his diocese to encourage other priests to use social media. He runs workshops about the different platforms and how to attract followers.</p><p>&quot;People are really looking for God,&quot; he said. &quot;That&#x27;s what I realized on social media.&quot;</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/01/30/21/father-tiktoker-ng-pampanga-hatid-ang-aral-inspirasyon-sa-social-media">&#x27;Father TikToker&#x27; ng Pampanga hatid ang aral, inspirasyon sa social media</a></li></ul><div><strong> &#x27;HERE TO STAY&#x27;</strong></div><p>COVID-19 upended the way most Filipinos practice their faith, with many unable to enter their church, take Holy Communion or participate in religious processions for more than a year. </p><p>Livestreaming masses on Facebook or YouTube and posting religious messages on Instagram have become the norm and are &quot;here to stay&quot; after the pandemic is over, said Broderick Pabillo, an auxiliary bishop for the Manila archdiocese.</p><p>&quot;We&#x27;ve already had a taste of its use and we have seen its capability,&quot; he said. </p><p>TikTok is playing a central role in Father Paul Woo&#x27;s efforts to coax the young into church pews in Navotas City, one of the poorest areas of the capital.</p><p>&quot;Sometimes they don&#x27;t have the time because other things get their attention, such as games and friends,&quot; Woo told AFP at his parish, where he records and uploads videos.</p><p>Wearing his vestments, Woo takes part in dance and emoji challenges. He also shares more sombre footage of his sermons for his more than 65,000 followers. </p><p>&quot;The church really needs to keep up with the times,&quot; Woo said.</p><p>&quot;There are many creative ways how we can reach out to people, especially now that we are given the gift of digital technology.&quot;</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1667859" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>After delivering sermons and visiting slums, Philippine priest Fiel Pareja tends to his Gen-Z flock on TikTok, creating videos of himself praying, dancing and lip-syncing Christian pop music for 1.6 million followers.</p>

After delivering sermons and visiting slums, Philippine priest Fiel Pareja tends to his Gen-Z flock on TikTok, creating videos of himself praying, dancing and lip-syncing Christian pop music for 1.6 million followers.

Catholic priests in PH turn TikTok into virtual pulpit

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Catholic priests in PH turn TikTok into virtual pulpit

Mikhail Flores and Lucille Sodipe,

Agence France-Presse

Published Apr 23, 2021 03:03 PM PHT

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TikTok

Catholic church

Fiel Pareja

Father TikTok

religion

Christian pop music

bible

catholic

faith

Luciano Felloni

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