Although he is one of the few Romanian hierarchs active on social media, Bishop Ignatie of Huși expressed his scepticism regarding the use of social platforms during the diocese’s annual monastic synaxis on Tuesday.
His Grace Bishop Ignatie began by referring to Saint Silouan the Athonite, commemorated on Sept. 24, who said, “A monk should not read newspapers or receive too much outside information from the world, as it scatters him inwardly.”
“Now, neuroscience researchers have reached the same conclusion: a person who is ‘bombarded’ with information no longer has the capacity to find themselves,” noted His Grace. “This is also why so many people experience a state of inner spiritual disintegration – the brain can no longer cope with external demands and stimuli.”
“As you know, I am not anti-technology, but I have never greatly advocated fully embracing it. I have always had reservations – and still do – regarding monks’ presence on social media. We sometimes emphatically say, without it being backed by content or reality, that we have fled the world, when in fact we allow the world to enter us through social media.”
The Bishop of Huși further stated that the moment one has a social media account, it is clear the world is within them: “You can stay away from the buzz of cities or human crowds, you can sit on top of a mountain – if you have access to information, the whole world is with you.”
“Any break from technology is very beneficial for us, spiritually speaking. It is an addiction we are not aware of,” the hierarch emphasized.
“I’ve noticed that it is now a trend – many monks have accounts on TikTok or Facebook, reading commemorations, prayers, and giving advice – they waste a lot of time. I cannot understand how you can spend all day on a social network when you should focus on something else – on the Liturgy, prayer, strengthening communion with your brother in the monastery, rather than wasting time on social media.”
The monastic synaxis with the abbots and confessors of the monasteries from the Diocese of Huși took place at Moreni Monastery.
Photo: Diocese of Huși
