45 Young Bangalore Priests Urged to Embrace the Digital World as a New Missionary Field for Ministry

YOUNG BANGALORE PRIESTS URGED TO EMBRACE ROLE AS 'DIGITAL SHEPHERDS' CHIKKAMAGALURU — Forty-five young priests from the Archdiocese of Bangalore participated in a four-day ongoing formation programme at Spoorthi Sadana, Pastoral Centre, Chikkamagaluru, designed to equip them for ministry in today's digital landscape Held from September 28 to October 1, 2026, the formation session titled “Digital Shepherding” was conducted by Fr Cyril Victor Joseph, Coordinator of the Conference of Catholic Bishops of India (CCBI) Media Apostolate The programme aimed to help young clergy understand priesthood, pastoral care, and evangelisation within an increasingly digital environment Viewing the Digital Realm as a Mission Field Fr Cyril Victor Joseph emphasized the growing influence of digital platforms on human relationships, communication, information-sharing, and spiritual exploration He encouraged the young priests to move beyond viewing the internet as a simple technological utility, urging them instead to approach it as a genuine pastoral and missionary field A major theme of the formation was synodal communication, prioritizing active listening, dialogue, participation, and communion Fr Cyril urged the priests to avoid one-way message broadcasting and instead use digital channels to foster meaningful, interactive encounters Furthermore, digital storytelling was highlighted as a creative way to share faith experiences and boost participation in parish and diocesan activities Navigating Online Safety and Cyber Threats The workshop examined the vital role priests play as "digital shepherds" in protecting parishioners from digital dangers Guidance was provided on helping faith communities navigate common online threats, including misinformation, phishing, online scams, cyberbullying, privacy breaches, and digital addiction Practical cyber safety measures were also covered, including: Setting strong, unique passwords and enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) Ensuring secure connections, updating software regularly, and configuring privacy settings Handling links and file downloads safely while maintaining routine data backups Practicing prudent and ethical online behavior Digital Footprints and Pastoral Boundaries The priests were reminded that digital communications leave a permanent record Online comments, photos, and posts can remain accessible for years, requiring long-term prudence and accountability when using social media platforms Additionally, the session addressed critical pastoral boundaries in the digital space These included managing parish WhatsApp groups, avoiding late-night personal messaging, steering clear of online controversies, handling requests for sacramental ministry over digital media, and avoiding over-reliance on social media metrics for validation Concluding the four-day event, organizers called on the young priests to combine pastoral sensitivity, responsible communication, and missionary creativity to accompany believers both in traditional parish life and in the digital world