13/10/2025
There are seminarians today whose hearts burnโnot for the altar, but for the algorithm. Even before ordination, some have become minor online personalities. Theyโre polished, entertaining, and constantly posting. They know how to use a ring light, craft clever captions, and build an audience. But listen closely, and thereโs less talk of the faithโand more about being popular. Less about sacrificeโmore about spotlight.
In this age of social media, itโs true that online platforms can be used for good. Evangelisation can reach far through the internet. Many faithful Catholics have used it to spread truth and hope. But for seminariansโmen still in formationโthis should be a time to grow in silence, humility, and detachment from the need to be seen. The habit of stepping into the spotlight too often can become hard to unlearn.
There is wisdom in remaining โunseen.โ The black cassock is not just a traditional outfitโit carries meaning. Its colour symbolises death to the world. A priest is meant to live for Christ, not for attention. The cassock doesnโt say โLook at me.โ It says, โI have died with Him.โ If thatโs the vocation a seminarian is preparing for, then formation should be helping him learn to embrace this hidden, sacrificial lifeโnot pulling him toward self-promotion.
It is a real concern when men in formation spend more time in front of cameras than in front of the Blessed Sacrament. A seminarian who constantly seeks attention now may become a priest who cannot function without it later. This isnโt just a passing trendโit may be a warning sign. If a man clings to the limelight during formation, it is likely he will cling to it even more once he becomes a priest. The danger isnโt always obvious, but it is real: the confessional may one day be replaced by a content calendar; the sacred, by the superficial.
It must be said: using media is not wrong in itself. Many good priests reach souls this way. But when priesthood becomes performanceโwhen reverence is traded for reachโsomething has gone off course. The priesthood is about sacrifice, not self-promotion.
Even more troubling are those seminarians who have already begun teaching publicly online, yet show signs of theological confusion. Some present personal opinions as if they were Catholic teaching. Others downplay moral truths or twist doctrine to fit popular ideas. These are not the honest struggles of students. They are the proud claims of men who already act like authoritiesโlong before they have even been entrusted with the care of souls.
What Should Be Done?
๐ญ. ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ. Formation is a time of deep spiritual battle. Seminarians face real temptations, and the enemy often targets those preparing for sacred ministry. They need prayersโfor humility, clarity, purity of intention, and the grace to desire holiness more than attention.
๐ฎ. ๐ฅ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ป๐โ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐. If a seminarian is publicly teaching error, seeking too much attention, or showing signs of pride, it is not wrong to speak up. Concerns can be raised with their spiritual directors or formatorsโnot to shame, but to protect the integrity of the priesthood and the good of future souls.
๐ฏ. ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ถ๐๐ต๐ณ๐๐น ๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐. Not all seminarians are caught up in the spotlight. Many live quietly, pray deeply, and embrace the cross of formation with joy. These are the men who will one day serve parishes, baptise children, anoint the dying, and preach the Gospel with reverence. They may not be visible onlineโbut they are deeply valuable to the Church.
๐ฐ. ๐ฆ๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. Seminaries must form men for the altar, not the camera. Doctrine must be taught clearly. Liturgical reverence must be upheld. Silence, prayer, obedience, and detachment must be part of daily life. Formation should strip away the desire for applauseโnot train men to chase it.
***
The Church does not need more performers. She needs more servants. She needs priests who are dead to the world, but alive to grace. Men who preach Christ, not themselves. Men who would rather kneel in a dark confessional than pose for a crowd. Men who are willing to be forgotten by the world so that Christ may be remembered.
The seminarians of today are the shepherds of tomorrow. And what they love nowโthey will carry into their priesthood. Let them be formed, not for the camera, but for the Cross.
