Through the nuns of Tiktok

The death of Pope Francis is promoting The reproduction figures of ‘conclave’but it is not the only recent manifestation of Catholicism in networks. In recent months we are attending the growth of a new (not young) generation of Influencers that communicates the vericuetos of his faith adapting the teachings to the new times: his last visible head are nuns who use Tiktok to give details about life in the monastery, prayer and other issues that until now remained hidden.

More cases. The last to viralize, following the recipe book of the Italian Sor Claudia and its more than 113,000 followers It has been Sr. Martaa Spanish nun with 64,000 followers in Tiktok and 38,000 on Instagram that focuses on advice for young people to face issues such as prayer or vocation and that makes special emphasis on the products that cook the nuns of its congregation. It also uses the profile to answer unusual questions, such as “How much do the nuns charge?”which explains naturally, or to enter issues that have some controversy coming from a nun, from tattoos to sexuality. Many of these more extensive issues Treat them on YouTube.

To Jesus. “If Jesus were at this time he would use social networks because in his time he sought all ways to reach people” affirms One of the most followed religious in Tiktok, the sister Josefina Cattaneo (More than 208,000 followers), Argentine nun who is another of the great stars of this trend. It defines itself as a “nun of the town” and shares style with the rest of the Tiktok nuns: they explain how life is within the convent by removing all the mystique, as if they were a group of friends who spend the day praying. Routines, celebrations and leisure moments and monastic life is demystified.

Monacal life versus influencer life. Undoubtedly, the striking of the large number of nuns who tell their life in Tiktok accounts is the contrast that, for the rest of mortals, there is between the supposedly prison and secret life within an order and the very nature of the social network, which consists of expose yourself as much as possibleeven with a point of vanity and exhibitionism that, of course, we do not associate the religious. What many of these nuns have achieved is to appropriate the tics and language of social networks (Trendsfilters, memes), which follow in their own way, and with a very clear objective: a face washing for the Catholic Church.

Less nuns. The number of vocations It has decreased Notably in recent years. In 2022, the last year of which you have data, the number of nuns and Closing monks It was about 7,906. Throughout the last decadebetween 2012 and 2019, the number decreased by 19.8%, from 10,889 to 8,739. The vocations have also fallen: the Middle Ages of the nuns It already exceeds 75 years In most communities, which betrays the lack of generational relief. The lack of nuns reaches the point that in Spain closes more than one female convent per month for lack of vocations.

Catholic wave. Not only does this type of account have propelled the death: there is a whole trend of Influencers Catholics that propose a very similar content, making the language of Tiktok and subviring it in the unexpected direction of prayer and recollection. Perhaps the most popular are the Twin Melody, famous for their dances, but also Very devout When the time comes. Of course, there are also crew of priests Network fans, although one of the most unique is Judith de Jesusbiotechnological and ex-monja engineer that focuses its content, however, on very didactic videos about Catholicism and its customs.

Why they go viral. The question is obvious: what is attractive to this content, beyond the religious affiliation of each one, so that it is viral and disseminate. Without a doubt the spontaneity of the nuns and the Revelation of “secrets” of the convent (the schedulesthe routinesfun, sense of humor) It seems to be counterintuitive: to the solemnity and mysticism that is supposed to a convent, these inevitably attractive personalities are opposed, since we are fascinated to see what is hidden in monasteries and in a way of life that is increasingly common.

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