Should priests be on social media?

For many priests, parishes, and other Catholic organizations and figures, social media has become an indispensable part of their ministry. From simply publishing Mass times on Facebook to sharing in-depth spiritual reflections on YouTube, one can seemingly find Catholic content on every corner of the web.

However, while some Catholic figures have embraced social media as a useful tool for ministry and community building, others have used it to embroil themselves in controversy. In just one example among many, according to ABC4 News, in 2019 Salt Lake City priest Father Erik Richsteig’s inflammatory social media posts about LGBTQ people, women, and firearms pushed parishioners to call for him to be removed from the parish. Faced with cases such as these, one must ask: what standards should their be for priests on social media?

Would you follow your pastor on social media?

Do social media influencer priests promote clericalism?

Should priests be on social media at all? U.S. Catholic wants to know.