Asian Catholic Digital Missionary Assembly Envisions a Shift from Influencers to Witnesses
PHILIPPINES — More than 100 delegates from across Asia gathered in the Philippines from September 10–13, 2026, for the Asian Catholic Digital Missionary Assembly to collaborate on faith-driven digital content and accompany each other as authentic witnesses in the digital space.
FROM INFLUENCERS TO WITNESSES
In his keynote address on the first day of the assembly, Bishop Marcelino Antonio “Junie” Maralit, Chairman of the CBCP ECSC, challenged participants to approach the digital space as a mission grounded in listening, encounter, discernment, and community building. He encouraged attendees to be fully present on digital platforms to plant seeds of faith that bring people closer to Christ.
Bishop Marcelino Antonio “Junie” Maralit delivers his Keynote Address at the First Asian | Catholic Digital Assembly, in Radio Veritas Asia, Quezon City. Photo Courtesy: Radio Veritas Asia
“Social media is an appetizer; the Eucharist is the destination,”
Bishop Maralit emphasized, noting that digital evangelization must look beyond virality and engagement metrics to lead people toward real Christian community and sacramental life. He urged participants to “go with the wisdom of the heart, stand up for human dignity, and tell the beautiful stories of faith in Asia.”
BUILDING RELATIONSHIPS
“We should take our influence seriously,”
Dr. Nataša Govekar, Director of the Theological-Pastoral Department of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, stressed the spiritual weight of modern media. She emphasized that digital presence must not be driven by audience size. She urged participants to see themselves not as influencers, but as “weavers of communion.”
Plenary Session with Dr. Nataša Govekar of the Dicastery for Communication | Photo Courtesy: Albert Gerez
Highlighting a training that though the collaborative process is not always easy, the outcome is worth it—specifically the relationships built along the way. She added that Catholic communicators must focus on what can be built together, bringing personal expertise to human relationships in order to fulfill the shared mission of communicating the Gospel online.
DIGITAL SPACE AS AN ENCOUNTER
Participant Mary Hoang Tran Thao Vy, a strategic planner and content creator for Catholic Design in Vietnam, reflected on her experience at the event. In an interview, she shared how the assembly served as a reminder that digital platforms can become spaces of encounter, communion, evangelization, and witness. Places where young people can encounter Christ and discover their place in the Church’s mission.
Case Study and Analysis Workshop hosted by Ms. Margaux Salcedo. Photo Courtesy: Albert Gerez
“Ultimately, we do not simply want young people to be influencers, but witnesses—witnesses of Christ, witnesses of hope, and witnesses of the Gospel,” Vy said.
As the assembly concluded, participants left energized to continue their mission of evangelization. and that our digital presence can become a witness that leads not only to our contents but ultimately to Christ.
Workshop Session with respective facilitators. Photo Courtesy: Albert Gerez
To guide their ongoing efforts, a spiritual resolution centered on key Catholic devotions and practices:
Confession, through humility and examination of conscience, reminds communicators to seek truth rather than personal recognition.
Adoration, in silence before Christ, creates space to listen to God before attempting to speak for others.
The Rosary, prayed with Mary, teaches attentiveness to the lives, joys, and struggles of others.
The Eucharist, which gathers the Church into one communion, reminds Catholics that no person should be treated as invisible or insignificant.
Scripture, especially Christ’s call to love and serve others, provides the foundation for communication that gives dignity to every voice.
The assembly was made possible in collaboration between the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences – Office of Social Communications (FABC-OSC) and Radio Veritas Asia, in partnership with the Vatican Dicastery for Communication through the Fully Present Network, the Asian Catholic Digital Missionary Assembly.
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