the 5 influencers to follow
Priests or religious, they mastered the codes of their time to perfection. These personalities regularly post videos on social networks, to answer young people’s questions and offer spiritual support. Here is a portrait of the five most famous content creators – or “influencers” – on the web.
1. Brother Paul-Adrien
Dressed in the white habit of Dominican monks, Brother Paul-Adrien d’Hardemare is currently the best-known priest on the networks. His YouTube channel exceeds 400,000 subscribers and covers diverse themes, from the Bible to advice on romantic relationships. With his facial expressions and his joking tone, Brother Paul-Adrien does not hesitate to present himself as a real influencer, even if it means using memes and posting photos of his daily life on the networks. The Dominican, the only priest to work full-time on the networks, also speaks out on current controversies, without mincing his words. After launching several video series, he will soon start a podcast channel to “discover Christianity”.
To be found on YouTube: Brother Paul-Adrien
2. Sister Albertine
With her calm tone, her clear dialectic, Sister Albertine has become the star of young people on the networks. She is particularly followed on her Instagram page, which has more than 240,000 subscribers. Coming from the Chemin-Neuf community, the nun knows teenagers well, because she is a teacher at the Marist high school in Lyon. She mainly answers questions from her subscribers, in short videos, and gives advice on how to flourish in the light of the Christian faith. His moderate views are appreciated by the media. Sister Albertine has already appeared on Konbini or in the television show Quelle époque!, to teach about the Catholic religion and testify to her life as a nun.
To be found on Instagram: sister.albertine
3. Father Gaspard Craplet
Chaplain to young people, Father Gaspard Craplet of the Jean-Marie Vianney company is known for his videos in breathtaking settings. The priest, a mountaineering graduate, regularly organizes mountain camps for teenagers. On his Instagram videos, we can see him chatting with a young person, in front of the majestic peaks of the Alps, and answering questions from Internet users about the Catholic religion. His editorial line is sober, with videos always in the same format but the recipe works: the priest gathers 80,000 subscribers on Instagram. He is also the author of the guide, “Joie de la confession” (Yeshoua editions), which provides us with profound insight into this sacrament.
To be found on Instagram: peregaspardcraplet
4. Father Benoît Pouzin
He was first known as the drummer for the pop-praise band Glorious. But Father Benoît Pouzin is now a very popular preacher on TikTok and Instagram. Dressed in liturgical vestments or in a sweatshirt, with a jovial expression, the priest gives video explanations on the mass, the prayer of the rosary or even the psalms. Its networks can also make room for guest stars, such as Christian football player Olivier Giroud. Multi-talented, Father Benoît Pouzin has already published three books on the priesthood and our questions about God and religion.
To be found on TikTok: @benoitpouzin
5. The priests of Padreblog
Originally, the Padreblog was a blog run by three priests from Versailles, pioneers on the web. Fourteen years after its creation, in 2007, the Padreblog has become professional. In 2023, it became a video content platform with a very popular Instagram page, YouTube channel and website. The three priests who run it, Louis Thomazo, Christophe Hédon and Jean-Baptiste Bienvenu, are young and love theology as much as surfing or the mountains. In short videos, published on Instagram, these priests preach in a stripped-down setting. The videos attract the curious to other, longer videos or podcasts that explain Catholic dogma. The target audience? Internet users on the path to conversion.
To be found on the site: Padreblog.fr
