Cologne - The Catholic Church in Germany hopes to turn 50 new
priests into social media influencers by offering a two-day "smart
camp" starting on Wednesday in Cologne.
The younger generation could not be influenced from the pulpit alone,
the archdiocese of Cologne said. Social media had
major potential for improving the church's work in the community.
As a result, priests will be given training in the use of
Instagram, Youtube and writing blogs. They will also be educated on
risks in the digital world, such as hacking and cybermobbing. The
idea is to help them stand by their parishes, the largest German
diocese said.
Andreas Puettmann, a political scientist and religion expert, said it
was right that the church should expand its methods of communication,
but said priests should still be cautious about how they approach
social media and consider whether they really have time to engage
properly, especially given the raw tone of many online debates.
"I think that priests as social media influencers should be the
exception rather than the rule," Puettmann said.