Father Pablo López has extensive experience in digital platforms such as "Jóvenes Católicos" and "Hallow", followed by millions of thousands of young people. He has just published How to talk about God in the networksa practical guide for communicating the spiritual in the digital sphere. Rather than offering magic recipes, it invites us to sow questions, inspire reflection and open deep dialogues that transcend the transience of social networks. In a world dominated by immediacy and ephemeral content, the challenge of speaking about God on social networks becomes a unique opportunity.
How did the idea of relating God to a social network like Instagram, which is often associated with superficiality, come about?
-It was a proposal from the publishing house and, from the beginning, I loved the project, because I dedicate part of my pastoral work to evangelizing in social networks and I see its effectiveness on a daily basis. My interest in this field was born in the pandemic, trying to accompany young people in the distance.
You mention that the book is not a magic recipe, but an invitation to rethink how we communicate the sacred. What common mistakes do those who try to talk about spirituality on social media make?
-One mistake is to focus on seeking followers and trying to make "clickbait" publications. Evangelizing requires speaking from the heart and experience and there are things that cannot be fit into "easy" formats.
You have to reach people's hearts and that is what the Holy Spirit does. Anyone who evangelizes in networks sees the disproportion between their work and the fruits that are produced. I remember a girl who had been treating herself for seven years for severe anorexia, including hospital admissions. She phoned me to tell me that she had been cured by praying with the contents of the channel. She got over it all by praying. Then he joined a religious order. Her parents are non-believers and are amazed at the change.
Do you talk about these kinds of stories in the book?
-Yes, the play is full of shocking anecdotes. For example, a girl in the second year of high school in a town in Extremadura became pregnant and her friends encouraged her to have an abortion. She contacted us when her son was born to thank us: the meditations of the application had encouraged her to be brave and face the consequences. She told us how her son was the greatest gift of her life.
There are people who tell you that thanks to a video they have not committed suicide; another who thanks to a song has asked forgiveness from his mother after a long time; and, of course, many people who return to confession after years or decades.
In your experience working on platforms such as Catholic Youth and Hallow, what strategies have proven most effective in connecting with young people through digital?
-First of all, you have to be consistent and offer a variety of content and formats. In Hallow we do one audio a day, but we also offer songs, short tips, commentaries on the liturgical season, interviews or podcasts. In short, you have to do everything so that everyone can get hooked on what they like the most or what best suits their circumstances.
There's no need to go through the motions. It is worthwhile to make things short and attractive, not long and dense. Just as homilies cannot be 15 minutes long, it is better to make them 5 minutes long and have a story that people can remember afterwards and make it easier for them to come back.
Well, the same with social networks, it has to be short because if not people will move on to another reel, so it is essential to start with a beginning that is groundbreaking. For example, one of our videos starts like this: "Hi, my name is Krishna, I was born and raised in the Hare Krishna community and I've gone from smoking joints constantly to going to mass every day".
You talk about the importance of seeding questions rather than simply adding content. What kind of questions do you think are best suited to inspire reflection in the audience?
-The key is not so much the type of questions, but when you leave open questions you invite the listener to continue thinking on your own. Also, open-ended questions generate a lot of interaction in the comments or people who write to you privately.
Finally, as a priest and someone with a sizeable digital audience, how do you balance the use of social media with the time needed for prayer and personal reflection?
-Well, thank God, I don't have to spend a lot of time editing videos, I can spend half an hour or so a day: 10 minutes on Instagram, the more 20 (I never go to see anyone's stories, or to see the reels or anything). If I dedicate more I know I would be wasting time and I am much more "offline" than it seems, I do sports daily and an entertaining pastoral activity (laughs). However, I recognize that it is key to work as a team. I have two collaborators who dedicate more time than I do.
