MANILA, Philippines – Catholic digital missionaries in Asia are being encouraged not merely to become influencers seeking attention in the digital space, but to become witnesses of Christ who first allow Jesus to shape their own lives.
The call emerged during the First Asian Catholic Digital Missionary Assembly, held from September 10 to 13, 2026, at the Pope John Paul II Auditorium on the Radio Veritas Asia (RVA) campus in Quezon City, Philippines.
More than 100 digital missionaries, communicators and Catholic influencers from various Asian countries are taking part in the gathering, which carries the theme “Influencers to Witnesses: Synodal Way for Digital Mission in Asia.” The assembly is organized by RVA in collaboration with the FABC Office of Social Communication.
In a video message during the orientation session, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle reminded participants that every influencer is, in one way or another, first influenced by someone or something. “Every influencer has been influenced before influencing others,” Cardinal Tagle said.
He therefore urged digital missionaries to recognize who and what shapes their way of seeing the world and their actions. Cardinal Tagle encouraged digital missionaries to allow Jesus to become the primary influence in their lives. “Allow Jesus, in the power of his Word and Spirit, to be a big influence in your life, in your outlook,” he said.
For Cardinal Tagle, authentic digital witness does not begin with the ability to produce content, but with a personal experience of the transformation brought about by Christ. A person can become an authentic witness when he or she has personally experienced the transforming influence of Jesus. For this reason, digital missionaries are encouraged to deepen their relationship with Christ through prayer and study.
“Pray well, study well,” he said.
He also reminded the participants that the light they receive from Christ should not be kept for themselves. Digital missionaries are called to allow the light of Christ to shine through their presence in the digital space.
The message was given a more concrete pastoral emphasis by Archbishop Gilbert Garcera, President of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), during his homily at the opening Mass of the gathering on September 11. Archbishop Garcera used the expression “whisper Jesus in Asia” to describe how the Church can bring Christ into the midst of Asia’s immense diversity.
According to Archbishop Garcera, the digital mission should not be carried out by “shouting” at Asia, but by drawing close to people, listening to them, walking with them, serving them, and gently allowing the love of Jesus to be heard and experienced. “We bring Jesus, not by shouting over Asia, but by drawing close to Asia,” he said.
Such an approach is particularly important because Asia is not a homogeneous space. The continent is marked by enormous diversity in cultures, languages, religions, social experiences and living conditions. Archbishop Garcera therefore encouraged digital missionaries to become communicators who know how to listen before speaking.
“Before we speak about people, learn to listen to people,” he stressed. He specifically called on communicators to pay attention to people whose voices are often unheard, including the poor, migrants, indigenous peoples, young people and other marginalized communities.
Beyond being content creators
Archbishop Garcera also reminded participants that digital missionaries are more than simply content creators. Every communication decision carries a moral consequence. Every headline, photograph, video, post or story, he said, makes a choice about whose voice is heard and whose voice may remain unheard.
Digital missionaries therefore should not allow clicks, likes and followers to replace truth, particularly amid the growing spread of misinformation and AI-generated false content. He offered a simple set of principles for communicators: verify before publishing, listen before judging, understand before interpreting, and provide context before condemning.
In the context of a pluralistic Asia, digital missionaries are also called to become bridge-builders. They must be able to speak the truth without hatred, denounce injustice without degrading human dignity, and offer criticism without destroying the humanity of others.
Thus, “being an influencer” from the perspective of Catholic digital mission is not primarily about gaining a large following. More important is allowing Christ to become the source of one’s influence and then expressing that influence through a way of communicating that is humane, attentive and oriented toward truth.
Cardinal Tagle places Jesus at the heart of the personal transformation of digital missionaries. Archbishop Garcera, meanwhile, develops the pastoral and communicative implications of that transformation: drawing close, listening to Asia, walking with its people and serving them.
Ultimately, both messages point toward the same purpose of digital mission: not to make the communicator the center of attention, but to help people encounter Christ. “Ultimately, we are not called simply to communicate information. We are called to be witnesses of the truth. And the truth is no other than Jesus Christ,” Archbishop Garcera said.
He expressed hope that every digital missionary would become a voice that speaks to Asia, a voice that listens to Asia, and a voice that brings hope to Asia. In an increasingly digital world shaped by competition for attention, the message offers a different direction: not to speak ever more loudly about Jesus, but to draw closer to people so that the presence and love of Jesus can be heard and experienced.
