After giving sermons and touring slums, Filipino priest Fiel Pareja tends to his Gen-Z flock on TikTok, creating videos of himself praying, dancing and syncing Christian pop music to 1.6 million followers.
As the coronavirus pandemic has forced the closure of places of worship across the predominantly Catholic country, tech-savvy priests like Pareja have turned the popular video-sharing platform into a virtual pulpit to connect with young believers.
Pareja spends up to six hours a night in his room at a rectory north of Manila recording short videos for TikTok – squeezing out a few hours of sleep before beginning his pastoral work in the real world.
The challenge is to create content that is relevant, creative and “not boring”, said the 30-year-old, who was ordained just weeks before the Covid-19 outbreak sent the country into months-long lockdown.
Dressed in a black cassock and clerical collar, Pareja recites Bible verses and offers prayers in English and Tagalog on everything from tackling anxiety to restoring democracy in Myanmar.
In other videos, he dances and lip-syncs to a Christian version of the song “Stay” by Zedd and Alessia Cara.
Pareja’s unorthodox evangelism resonated on the Gen Z favorite platform.
His more than 670 videos have each been liked tens of thousands of times and earned him the nickname “Father TikTok”.
“I believe social media can help us reach today’s youth,” said Pareja, who counts Muslims, Protestants and Methodists among his online followers.
“It’s endless preparation and content creation. But it makes me happy and satisfied to know that people are getting their spiritual needs (met).”
Her ever-growing fanbase includes Erica Jacaba, a 20-year-old non-practicing Catholic in the central province of Bohol.
Jacaba said she was comforted by the prayers of Pareja, which she looks to when she has enough money to pay for additional data on her cell phone.
“Father Fiel’s prayers erase my sadness, the tensions I feel with myself,” Jacaba said.
“I have peace of mind.”
– Essential ‘cyber mission’ –
As the Asian 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% of the population describes themselves as Catholic, and many practice their faith fervently.
But Luciano Felloni, a popular Catholic influencer and Manila parish priest, fears interest from young people is waning.
He said TikTok and other social media platforms have become important tools in maintaining the relevance of the religious institution.
“I think it’s essential. The church must be fully present in the cyber mission,” said the 47-year-old Argentinian who has lived in the Philippines for more than 20 years.
Felloni records and uploads TikTok videos for his more than 11,000 followers with advice on how to have a positive attitude – often right after finishing his morning jog while wearing sweaty gym clothes.
“My learning on social media is that authenticity makes people follow you,” Felloni said.
“I try to do it as I am and where I am. Spontaneity is very important.”
Felloni started posting videos on Facebook in 2016 before migrating to TikTok during last year’s lockdown after realizing it was many young people’s favorite platform.
“You can’t find them on Facebook anymore – they’re already gone because Facebook has been taken over by grandmas and their mothers,” he said.
Felloni is now leading efforts in his diocese to encourage other priests to use social media. He leads workshops on the different platforms and how to attract subscribers.
“People are really looking for God,” he said.
“That’s what I realized on social media.”
– ‘Here to stay’ –
Covid-19 has upended the way most Filipinos practice their faith, with many unable to enter their churches, take communion or participate in religious processions for over a year.
Livestreaming Masses on Facebook or YouTube and posting religious messages on Instagram have become the norm and are “here to stay” after the pandemic is over, said Broderick Pabillo, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Manila.
“We’ve already had a taste of its use and we’ve seen its ability,” he said.
TikTok is playing a central role in Father Paul Woo’s efforts to attract young people to the pews of Navotas City, one of the capital’s poorest neighborhoods.
“Sometimes they don’t have time because other things get their attention, like games and friends,” Woo told AFP in his parish, where he records and uploads videos.
Dressed in his clothes, Woo participates in dance and emoji challenges. He also shares darker images from his sermons for his more than 65,000 followers.
“The church really needs to keep up,” Woo said.
“There are many creative ways to reach people, especially now that we have been given the gift of digital technology.”
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