Hot priests. They’re sexy, they’re single, they’re celibate.

In what appears to be their latest bid to bring younger generations into the fold and develop a greater online presence, the Catholic Church is rolling out an eyebrow-raising new digital advertising strategy: promoting attractive priests.

Last week, the Vatican hosted a thousand Catholic influencers from around the globe as they rethink their digital content strategy. Among them are scores of handsome priests with massive social media followings across platforms like Instagram, TikTok, YouTube, and Facebook. 

And it’s these holy hunks – and their hundreds of thousands of social media followers – that the Vatican is relying on to drive conversions in the coming years.

If not for their telltale clergy collar, you may mistake their feeds as that of a fitness or lifestyle influencer. Father Ambrogio Mazzai (follower count: 105k) often posts photos of himself gently strumming his acoustic guitar, or riding on his mountain bike....read more + pictures