Catholic

Álvaro Moreno and his Catholic clothing brand is just the tip of the iceberg: the fever for "chic christianity"

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During the inauguration of one of its stores in Zaragoza, the Álvaro Moreno brand repeated his usual ritual: A priest toured the facilities blessing the premises and the employees, while the motto “May it be for the glory of God” was read on a large screen. The gesture summarizes the philosophy of the Sevillian businessman who has made his Catholic faith part of his business model. Showing faith. “When I open a store I say let it be for the glory of God, because if it is not for his glory, why are we here?” he said in an interview with El Español. He was 21 years old when he opened his first store in Osuna; Today, his brand employs 700 people and has an annual profit of almost 11 million. In the midst of the pandemic, after attending mass one morning, he says he found something more than comfort: a new way of understanding the company. Your company seeks to integrate “social and solidarity projects” through initiatives such as Tiendas con Alma, which collaborates with NGOs such as Down España, ELA Andalucía, Tu Casa Azul or the Daughters of Charity of Pumarejo. “Doing a company with soul” is not marketing, he insists. But the truth is that his way of mixing religion and business fits perfectly with a broader cultural trend: the return of Catholicism as an aesthetic, story and, in some cases, as a brand strategy. In Xataka Rosalía has entered her Catholic phase: she is only the latest in a long list of Spanish artists and filmmakers A new spiritual language? Álvaro Moreno’s public devotion does not come from nowhere. It is part of a broader movement, where religion once again appears among pop songs, fashion shows or company slogans. Catholicism, previously relegated to silence or modesty, now becomes a visible sign, even a form of style. The singer Rosalía has been the most visible face of that trend. Their new album, Lux, is crossed by religious symbols and songs. On the cover she appears dressed in a white habit and in the presentation video you can hear Gregorian choirs and verses about God in fourteen languages. This gesture is located within a broader artistic movementwhere religiosity is no longer taboo for the new generations. Spirituality has become, in other words, a new cultural language. From Rosalía’s habit to Catholic festivals like Hakuna, which brought together 85,000 young people At a massive concert in April, faith is leaving the sacristies and entering the timelines. From TikTok to the pulpit. The phenomenon is not limited to Spain. In the United States, a report from the Wall Street Journal describes how Christian music contemporary “is on fire again for God. Artists like Forrest Frank, former member of the pop duo Surfaces, have brought their faith to TikTok with songs like God’s Got My Back, accumulating more than 15 million streams on Spotify and millions of views on social networks. According to the same medium, Christian artists accumulated more than 1.2 billion views in the US this year. And not just artists: even convents have learned to move in the digital age. Nuns like Sister Marta, Sister Verónica or the Argentine Josefina Cattaneo They accumulate hundreds of thousands of followers showing their daily life in the convents: from how a habit is prepared to how a birthday is celebrated in community. The formula works because it humanizes the religious vocation and makes it accessible to young people who perhaps would never approach a church. What was previously communicated from the pulpit is now shared from the algorithm. From modesty to believing pride. In Spain, the data confirm a generational change. According to the CIS36.4% of young people between 18 and 24 years old declare themselves Catholic, compared to 28% in 2021. 10.5% are practicing. It is the only age group in which religiosity grows. “There is a rise in identity-based Catholicism and a visibility of religious identity among part of the youth,” explains anthropologist Mónica Cornejo in El Correo. “They wear crosses and claim their faith without shame. They say: ‘I’m a Christian, so what?’” For Cornejo, it is a Catholicism that is “more cultural, less dogmatic. They are not as interested in read religion as in lived religion.” In a country where religion seemed a thing of the past, faith is once again a flag—aesthetic, emotional or political. And he does it, curiously, from Instagram, from the reels or from a walkway. {“videoId”:”x8ldfb3″,”autoplay”:false,”title”:”HOW ELON MUSK MAKES MONEY if MANY of his companies ARE NOT PROFITABLE”, “tag”:”Webedia-prod”, “duration”:”797″} Towards chic Catholicism. But there is a question underlying all of this: is it devotion, strategy or both? As Noemí López Trujillo warns in Newtralthe religious aesthetic that Rosalía has embraced “does not seem to renounce or contradict itself, but rather deliberately embrace the idea that what is conservative is subversive.” In the case of Álvaro Moreno, the phrase “Let it be for the glory of God” resonates with authenticity, yes, but also with a precision of branding: store, ritual, history of improvement, visible values. And in a market where consumers seek purpose as much as they seek product, that narrative works. The question is whether something essential is not diluted along the way. Deep spirituality becomes consumer aesthetics, and faith—like almost everything—into a market value. Because believing in something offers comfort; But commodifying belief offers a story that sells. And at that border—between conviction and strategy—we may have to look beyond the blessed display cases. Image | TikTok Xataka |Shein has opened its first store in Europe in Paris. Paris has reacted as always: staging a revolt (function() { window._JS_MODULES = window._JS_MODULES || {}; var headElement = document.getElementsByTagName(‘head’)(0); if (_JS_MODULES.instagram) { var instagramScript = document.createElement(‘script’); instagramScript.src=”https://platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js”; instagramScript.async = true; instagramScript.defer = true; headElement.appendChild(instagramScript); – The news Álvaro Moreno and his Catholic clothing brand is just the tip of the iceberg: the fever for “chic Christianity” was originally published in Xataka by Alba Otero .

more and more Spanish artists look to the Catholic

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We cannot fully analyze the religious implications of an album that hasn’t been released yet. But we can put an unanswerable question on the table: aesthetically, and quite possibly also thematically, Rosalía has taken a turn towards Catholic iconography. It is an element to which she is not at all alien from previous works, but ‘Lux’ seems to have a deeper impact on it. Let’s see what it can mean and, above all, why it is not so much a whim of the artist or a marketing maneuver as swimming in a current that is very favorable at the moment: the modern and youthful vindication of the majority faith in Spain. Rosalía the pious. Little by little, Rosalía is slipping elements of Catholic iconography into this new album beyond the enigmatic title, also with a clear spiritual component. We have seen it biting a rosary in the presence of an orchestra that was playing, perhaps, his famous score ‘Berhghain’. On the cover of the album she appears with a kind of white elastic habit, like that of the Cistercians or the Dominicans, but with her arms under the cloth (something that does not point to a straitjacket, as has been said, but to the tendency of the 19th century veiled sculptures). That’s it, although fans are already finding parallels in the most diverse places. Well, almost everything: in the CD cookie we can find a reference to the philosopher and activist Simone Weilthe quote “Love is not comfort, it is light.” Weil’s spiritual aspect constitutes the core of his existential thought, characterized by a ceaseless search for truth, universal compassion and union with the divine outside of religious dogmas. For her, work, suffering and attention constituted forms of prayer and knowledge of God. But that’s not all. At the moment, Rosalía is being accused of using religion as an advertising tool, but the truth is that Catholic iconography has always made small appearances in the visual section of her creations. His debut ‘Los Angeles’aside from the title, was full of references to religious rituals surrounding death. ‘The evil will‘ It was a thematic work that abounded in liturgical references, and had on the cover the image of Rosalía characterized as a Catholic Virgin. There are constant references to religion in choruses, psalms or prayers in the lyrics, versions of classics of sacred poetry such as the ‘Although it’s night‘ based on Saint John of the Cross and visual nods such as the famous Nazarene on a scooter from the video clip of ‘Badly‘. And observers like the journalist Carlos Primo have seen more: for example, his collaboration with Bernat Vivancos for his appearance at the Goya ceremony covering Los Chunguitos with a choir. Vivancos has not only directed the liturgical choir of the Escolanía de Montserrat, but also released an album, ‘Blanc’, with sacred content. ​ It’s not the first. Whether it is an aesthetic or marketing maneuver or comes from a genuine personal feeling (of course, in the first interviews is giving everything in terms of spiritual dedication), it is not the first (as Noel Ceballos said, every pop artist is destined for a Catholic Era). There are those who even look back to the eighties and to Madonna, who with her ‘Like a Prayer’ stirred up Catholics from half the worldalthough the religious themes in his album came from both a personal conviction and a calculated turn in his career to move away from a frivolous image. Lady Gaga also carried out a similar transformation in recent yearsalthough here it was more due to experimentation with the religious aesthetics. There is criticism. Some of the most visceral criticism it is receiving in this regard comes from content creators with progressive ideology. like skinnybangbangwhich relate nun habits to a conservative wave that has also reached pop artists. This is a turn that had already been noted when Rosalía left behind the overproduction of kilometric eyelashes and shrimp nails and hugged the nuncoreaesthetic neopuritanism and the voluntary celibacyas he has stated in recent interviews. A turn that journalists like Noemí López Trujillo They have been read more as an approach to mainstream schools of thought that criticize artists like Sabrina Carpenter for being excessively brazen and promiscuous. This is the youth of the Pope. That is to say, Rosalía is part of a current trend of interest in the Catholic faith as a narrative and symbolic background. It is not so much a devotional return as an artistic and emotional approach to the religious experience, used to explore identities, family wounds or searches for meaning. The most striking and media examples of this trend are Los Javis and Alauda Ruiz de Azúa (apart from the creators who already make openly propagandistic creation, such as hakuna and Effetaand whose almost massive interest among a large sector of young Spaniards we have already talked about), but they are not the only ones. To fame for being Catholic. Since ‘The Call’ in 2017, Los Javis incorporates Catholic symbolism passed through a pop filter (nuns, divine apparitions, prayers, songs) into many of their works. In ‘the messiah‘They explored it from a darker turn, but still without losing the spirituality, which is also seen as a therapeutic relief for those seeking to be comforted. ​On the other hand, Alauda Ruiz de Azúa, with ‘Los Domingos’ (recent Concha de Oro in San Sebastián) proposes an unusual story in Spanish cinema: that of a teenager who wants to be a cloistered nun. Far from ironizing faith, the director portrays the religious vocation from a respectful perspective, allowing characters with faith to speak on their own terms, with an austere and contemplative tone. They are not the only ones. Multiple Spanish artists have entered into the theme of the Catholic faith and its impact on Spanish society, absolutely inescapable after forty years of dictatorship and imposition. Among the young people who, just as they are rediscovering the bulls rediscover Catholic icons, we could highlight Pilar Palomero (in … Read more

Efffetá and Emaus sold as “Catholic retreats.” Now his organizers are investigated for behaving as sects

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Problems in the so -called Spanish “Catholicism”: the HAM, one of the associations behind the secretists Catholic retreats Efffetá and Emaus, is being investigated. After the complaints that support the actions of the archbishopric of Madrid, some mysterious and transformative activities that have been receiving close attention, not always positive, in the past months. What happened. The Archbishopric of Madrid has decided in 2025 intervene and dissolve HAMan association that was falsely presented as a religious congregation. The reasons include numerous allegations of heresies, sexual abuse, spiritual and power abuses, as well as behaviors considered “sectarian,” how to separate the youth of their families. The investigation was led by the Rota court, with the support of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Civil Guard, which also analyzes a possible case of continued abuse. The tentacles of the work. The measures affect not only Madrid but other Spanish dioceses, such as Toledo, Sevilla and Getafe, where the HAM had presence and convents. The HAM (acronym for merciful love sisters) had been approved as a public association of faithful in 2007 and came to have a secular branch of about 300 members. The association was famous especially for organizing retreats Efffetá and Emausspear heads (especially the first) of the known as “Catholicism Guay”. Catholicism … Guay? Emaus are Contemporary Catholic retreats They have acquired Great notoriety In Spain and Latin America for its approach, its secrecy and its emotional impact. Emaus He was born in the seventies in Miami and is oriented to adults. Efffetá is inspired by its structure but is an activity aimed at young people between 18 and 30 years old. Born in Colombia in 2013 and expands rapidly, arriving in Spain only a few months later. Both retreats are Initiatives promoted by lay that have previously gone through the experience, and that they are called “servants.” Those who attend for the first time are called “walkers.” Secretism is key. One of the key standards of these retreats is secretism: participants must deliver mobiles and watches at the beginning and are asked to reveal anything about the activities to “not anticipate surprise” to future assistants. The motto of retreats, in fact, is “what is said here, here stays.” And what is lived there? Testimonies of personal transformation, group dynamics, cults of worship and symbolisms such as masks, strings or the construction of symbolic “walls”. In addition, these retreats cannot be repeated: it is only allowed to attend as a participant once in life. Subsequently, it can only be returned as a server, helping in the organization for others. Serious complaints. Although its many defenders defend secrecy as an integral part of the experience, to the point of taking it to its famous motto, it is what raised suspicions from the beginning (the psychologist Miguel Pearl spoke of a “Emotional and ideological bombardment”), which have been confirmed with the case of HAM, dissolved upon receiving “multiple complaints of abuse of power, abuse of consciousness and affective-sexual incidents.” The intervention of the ecclesiastical authority responds, in addition to the complaints, to a concern for methodologies that can lead to emotional manipulation, families or thought control, all characteristics of the sects. Hakuna connection. If we talk about “guay Catholicism” it is inevitable to refer to the group of Catholic pop mass hakuna. This new spirituality for young Christians has a lot to do with the activities of Efffetá and Emaus, and eldiario.es stands outIn fact, that the town of Las Rozas where the musical movement led by the priest and ex of the Opus Dei José Pedro Manglano carries out was the old headquarters of the daughters of merciful love. At the moment, the archdiocese is erasing every trace of the Internet HAM: the Hamilías YouTube channeland his videoserie ‘GODIDIENCIAS“. Everything suggests that the popular retreats managed by the association could disappear or, at least, take a turn towards a less mysterious orientation. Cabacera | Efffetá In Xataka | The Bible was always the most sacred book. The young Christians are filling it with post-ps, underlined and cuquis covers

85,000 people jumping to the rhythm of Catholic slogans in cyber are just one more piece of the Hakuna Puzzle complex

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The figure of Pope Francis Vartebra the origin and also the last milestone of Hakuna’s musical faction. It is at the origin of this Catholic youth movement founded in 2013 in Madrid by the priest José Pedro Manglano, in response to the mood of Pope Francis during the World Youth Day (WYD) of Rio de Janeiro. There the Pope encouraged young people to “make mess”, and Hakuna has taken it to the letter, riding a very notorious cyber this Saturday. Not only music. The growth of movement has been exponential. He was born as a group of related young people in part to Opus Dei, who met in San Josemaría de Aravaca, but soon began to attract other young people. He started as an association of faithful, many of them lay, who gathered privately, but soon began to extend, first in Spain, and since 2018, internationally: Hakuna is currently in more than twenty countries and more than 70 cities around the world. But above all, music. No one escapes that this is the nucleus of Hakuna’s appeal: music always was part of Hakuna’s initial meetings, which in 2015 take shape like a first album. It is the second, ‘My poor mad’, which gives them a greater impact. Since 2022, Hakuna Group Music has experienced exorbitant growth, reaching milestones such as its concerts in the Vistalegre Palace or Wizink Center (17,000 tickets and SOLD OUT In a few hours) and add millions of listeners in social networks and Spotify, where on more than one occasion they have come to be In the most listened to top. Many people. The group is, again, organized and directed by Manglano, and there are no visible heads or stars in it: there are some forty artists of which up to twenty can get to the stage simultaneously. There are no leaders or leaders and the songs are composed collectively, following the slogan “we live what we sing and sing what we live.” His carefree style and away from strict orthodoxy is what has become hits to songs like ‘Hurricane‘, popular even out of religious environments, and already with 11 million views On YouTube. The resurrection party. This is the name that received an act organized by the Catholic Association of Propagandists (ACDP), which would commemorate the resurrection of Jesus with which Holy Week concludes, but which also became improvised chosen the newly deceased Pope Francis. Hakuna sang his theme ‘Mercy ‘according to them one of the Pope’s favorites, and were accompanied by artists related to the Catholic faith such as Beret, DJ Octopus, always like this or Cali & El Dandee. The event, which is already for its third edition, congregated more than 85,000 people. Party and prayer. Related to that purpose of “making mess” proposed by the Pope and that appears very clear on the official Hakuna website, no doubt what congregates 85,000 people in cyber on a Saturday is that feeling Catholic is not at odds with the party. This is corroborated by the many immersion chronicles in the phenomenon they have carried out newspapers such as Independientewhere statements of faithful who follow Hakuna are collected even on trips in different countries, and where what the songs help to immerse themselves in the Catholic faith, the accessible and direct of the songs, and how that fits, in its own way, in its own way, with a beer after a concert of the group is underlined. The musical arm. The Hakuna phenomenon is so extraordinary that it has become examined in Papers Academic who inquire into their role as a secular organization and as a reinforcement of a collective identity. In this studyentitled ‘The Hakuna Movement: Organizational Structure and Strategies for the Re -Christianization of Youth in Spain’, the authors talk about how the spiritualization of the leisure in recent years (and Events like Soul Week) It has a lot to do with Hakuna’s success. The viralization of the music band has given context to the movement, creating concepts such as “revolutionary chosen” or “pringado”, which is what the same call themselves Hakuners and that are present at the ‘Qaos’ album of 2022. More pop gospel. Hakuna Group Music are not the only examples of this new wave of Catholic evangelizers through pop music. Much more common in Latin America, with singers such as Athenas or veteran Martín Valverde, groups such as The desert voicewith seven members of which three are priests. Luis Poveda He is also a priest and singer -songwriter, and Wheat 133 They are linked to the missionary NGO Jatari and youth evangelization. And there are many more, with names such as Ain Karem, Álvaro Fraile, Olivo outbreaks, Jesús Cabello, Luis Alfredo Díaz or Maite López. Header | ACDP In Xataka | The Catholic Church changed Europe’s psychology. Unintentionally, it caused an era of technological innovation

Catholic Saints: the saints celebrated on January 23

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People named Ildefonso and Clemente celebrate their saint’s day on January 23. Catholic saints are a rich tradition that celebrates the life and virtues of saints recognized by the Church. Each day of the year is dedicated to commemorating various saints, models of faith and example of love for God. January 23 is no exception, being a date on which several prominent figures who dedicated their lives to divine service are remembered. Saint Ildefonso of Toledo San Ildefonso is one of the most recognized saints who is celebrated on January 23. He was a prominent archbishop of Toledo, known for his fervent devotion to the Virgin Mary and for defending her doctrine of perpetual virginity. How can he intercede for you? Saint Ildefonso is the ideal saint to ask for spiritual guidance, especially if you are looking to strengthen your faith and devotion to the Virgin Mary. He is also a powerful intercessor for those who need clarity in their spiritual life or are facing questions of faith. How to celebrate your day? Pray the rosary in honor of the Virgin Mary.Attend mass and entrust yourself to his intercession.Perform a spiritual reading, especially of texts dedicated to the Virgin. Saint Clement of Ancyra Saint Clement was a bishop and martyr of the first centuries of Christianity. He is remembered for his courage in defending the faith against the persecutions of the Roman Empire. How can he intercede for you? Saint Clement is a protector for those who face great challenges, persecutions or situations of injustice. He is an example of strength and perseverance. How to celebrate your day? Dedicate a special prayer to persecuted Christians in the world.Perform charity work in his honor, helping those who suffer. Other saints commemorated on January 23 The January 23 saints also include other lesser-known, but equally important, saints: Saint Emerenciana: Virgin and martyr, known for her bravery in defending faith in Christ.Saint Amasius of Theano: Bishop revered for his pastoral commitment and dedication to the Christian community. Each of them has their own charisma and is remembered for their example of faith and dedication to God. How to celebrate the saints in the saints’ calendar The Catholic Church offers various ways to honor and celebrate the saints on the calendar. Some best practices include: Prayer: Dedicate a prayer to the saint of the day asking for his intercession in your particular needs. Attendance at mass: participate in the Eucharist to pay tribute to the saint and strengthen your faith. Works of charity: perform acts of kindness in honor of the saint, following his example of love for others. Study of his life: research more about the commemorated saint to learn from his example and apply it in your life. Why ask for the intercession of the saints? In the Catholic tradition, saints are seen as friends and models of Christian life who already enjoy the presence of God. It is believed that they intercede with the Father for the needs of those who call on them with faith. Each saint has a particular charisma and is usually associated with specific causes. For example, Saint Ildefonso is a defender of Marian faith and devotion, while Saint Clement inspires strength in the face of adversity. Prayer for January 23 Below is a brief prayer that you can pray on this day: “O Almighty God, who gives us the example of your saints to guide us in our life of faith, we ask that, through the intercession of Saint Ildefonso, Saint Clement and all the saints we remember today, we may draw closer to You. Strengthen our faith and guide us on the path of holiness. Amen.” Keep reading:• What are the saints of January 22, according to the Catholic saints?• Saints of January 21: what saints are celebrated• What saints are celebrated on January 20, according to the Catholic saints list

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