Digital Apostasy: Social Media Vocation Promotion and the Conciliar Church’s Sacramental Void

The Vatican News portal reports on an international webinar held on February 27, 2026, titled “Social Media and Vocational Promotion: Witness and Community in the Digital World,” organized by Multimedia International in collaboration with the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) and the Union of Superiors General (USG). Approximately 548 participants, described as formators and communicators, attended the event. Speakers including Raffaele Buscemi of Opus Dei, Sr. Amélie Jarrousse, and Fray David Jesús Velásquez Cardona promoted social media as an “authentic space of witness, accompaniment, and community discernment” for vocation promotion. Key themes included the assertion that “the virtual is real,” the need for intentional and dialogical online presence, and the concept of social media as an “open cloister.” The article concludes by framing this digital engagement as a response to decreasing vocations, challenging the Church to inhabit digital spaces as places of mission.