One of Italy’s best known priests has announced his intention to leave the priesthood. Father Alberto Ravagnani, a so-called “influencer priest”, has millions of views on YouTube, nearly 300,000 followers on Instagram, and nearly 150,000 on TikTok. He was also involved in the Jubilee of Catholic Digital Missionaries and Influencers held in Rome during last year’s Holy Year.
Ordained in 2018, Ravagnani was initially posted to the quiet town of Busto Arsizio in Varese and then to the more prominent San Gottardo al Corso in Milan, where he ministered alongside two other priests. Around this time, he began to use modes of engagement less traditionally associated with the priesthood, with his use of social media being a central part of this. He also began to wear civilian clothes, explaining that he “had to be willing to give up the uniform to get closer to people”. He also had a public back-and-forth with Fedez, one of Italy’s best known pop artists, which resulted in Fedez blocking the priest on Instagram after their communication soured.
