On World Mission Day, a moment of online prayer was held from the Clementine Chapel of St. Peter’s Basilica, featuring digital missionaries from around the world. This event underlined the importance of evangelizing in digital spaces where people seek meaning and love, as highlighted in the summary report of the first session of the Synod of Bishops, specifically in the section entitled “Missionaries in the digital environment.”
A meeting of faith in the digital world
The Clementine Chapel was the scene of a significant moment of prayer with digital missionaries connected globally. Monsignor Luis Marín De San Martín, Undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod; Paolo Ruffini, Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication and President of the Information Commission of the Synod; and Monsignor Lucio Ruiz, Secretary of the Dicastery for Communication, participated in this event.
During his speech, Monsignor Ruiz announced an important event: the Jubilee of Catholic missionaries and digital influencers, scheduled for July 28 and 29, 2025. In his words, he praised digital missionaries for their valuable contribution to the “great missionary wealth of the Church,” highlighting the beauty of their work and encouraging them to continue showing the joy of God in a world in need of hope.
A message of hope and action
In his speech, Monsignor Ruiz motivated the missionaries to continue dreaming together and doing beautiful things that reflect divine joy. This speech was followed by a song in Spanish, which gave way to a time of interactive prayer, where young people connected online actively participated.
Monsignor Ruiz also read the Gospel selected by Pope Francis for World Mission Day, which bears the motto “Go and invite everyone to the banquet.” Monsignor Marín De San Martín offered a reflection that presented Jesus as a “living person,” moving away from the vision of Him as a simple “avatar” or “digital identity.” He urged those present to fulfill the mandates to “go” and “invite,” leaving aside comforts and selfishness, and witnessing to the joy of the Lord Jesus with the enthusiasm of those who love.
Testimonies that inspire
The event also highlighted moving testimonies from young people, including two Lebanese twins, who share the beauty of Christianity in the Middle East through the Internet. Interactivity was a key component as several missionaries expressed their prayer intentions in various languages and wrote words that define their work on social media, such as “fraternity,” “listening,” “joy,” “pain,” “joy,” “thirst,” and “need for God.”
A call to humility and responsibility
Paolo Ruffini closed the event with an invitation to assume a sense of responsibility in the face of current problems. He cited St. Paul as an example of a great communicator who served the Lord with humility and tears, and encouraged people to always choose communion over distinction.
The meeting concluded with a final moment of prayer, also with digital contributions from the participants, and the motivating invitation from Monsignor Ruiz: “Go! To the ends of the world.”
