“Go and mend the nets”: Pope compares influencers to the apostles

On July 29, 2025, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV addressed participants of the Jubilee of Catholic digital missionaries and influencers. In his message, the Pontiff drew a parallel between the first apostles and modern-day evangelizers working in the digital space. The address was published on the official Vatican website.

“Go and mend the nets. Christ called his first apostles while they were mending their fishing nets. Today He calls us to weave other kinds of nets: networks of relationships, love, selfless participation, where friendship is deep and sincere; networks that heal loneliness, give space to others rather than ourselves; networks that liberate and save,” the Pope said, urging the creation of new “networks” in the digital realm.

The Pope also emphasized the growing influence of artificial intelligence, stating that it is shaping a new era to which the Church must be prepared to respond. “We must work together to develop the language of our time — a language that gives voice to Love.”

He also focused on the importance of humanizing digital culture: “Today we find ourselves in a new culture, deeply permeated by technology. It is our responsibility to ensure that this culture remains humane.” He warned against the misuse of technology to undermine human dignity and added, “Our mission is to cultivate a culture of Christian humanism… not merely by creating content, but by creating encounters of hearts.”

In conclusion, the Pope called on participants to become “agents of unity”:
“Be capable of overcoming the logic of division and polarization, of individualism and egocentrism. Center yourselves on Christ so that you may overcome the world’s logic, fake news, and emptiness — with the light of Truth.”

Earlier, we also reported that on July 29, 2025, in Istanbul, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew delivered a programmatic address at the World Conference of Religions for Peace. In his speech, he called for the formation of a “shared sacred worldview” as a response to the challenges of today’s materialistic society. The greatest threat of our time, according to the Patriarch, is “reductionist thinking,” which reduces human life solely to material needs.