The Catholic Church just can’t catch a break …
Amid the controversy surrounding Pope Leo and his ridiculous comment on abortion (not to mention his equally ridiculous blessing of a chunk of ice), a new scandal has broken.
This new scandal centers on Father Alberto Ravagnani, a 32-year-old “influencer” priest who not only uses his social media presence to post his physical fitness routines, but who also uses it to hawk supplements like famed conspiracy theorist Alex Jones.
PRIEST IN THE GYM: Italian Father Told to Stop Promoting Supplements Online.
Father Alberto Ravagnani says social media is the “new mission field,” but his superiors want less flexing and more focus on faith. pic.twitter.com/okMajvK7wd
— Kristin Sokoloff (@ksoklower48) October 4, 2025
According to The Times, he’s specifically been hawking something called “Bond Supplements,” which include multivitamins, probiotics, Omega-3, and more.
“They don’t make me become Superman or Jesus Christ, but they help me to remain myself at my best,” he said in one recent ad.
“Praying is not enough, guys!” he said in another recent ad. “You need to be saintly, but also healthy. Supplements help me to stay strong and carry out my mission.”
But according to The Telegraph, he’s defended these ads by saying they’re vital to reaching and engaging young people.
“Just as Christian missionaries have to learn the languages and customs of the places they are sent to, so the missionary Church today needs to know the language and social media culture of young people so as to be able to talk to them and evangelize,” he said.
“When I started as a priest in Busto Arsizio in 2019 there was hardly anyone there,” he added in a separate statement to The Times. “The kids were all in a parking lot, smoking joints. I understood that to get them back I had to go among them, accepting all the risks. That’s what I’m doing.”
The problem is that the archbishop of Milan, Mario Delpini, isn’t buying what he’s selling and has called his videos “inappropriate.”
“[Ravagnani] has [also]been told by his superiors that he should ditch the singlets and shorts and go back to wearing his dog collar,” The Telegraph notes. “It is fine for the priest to try to connect with Gen Z but he should do so ‘without overdoing it and without straying into the world of paid content on social media,’ they told him.”
Keep in mind that, despite his social media behavior, he’s still an everyday priest in real life:
L’ultima giornata di #AzzurraLibertà inizia con la Santa Messa celebrata dal giovane sacerdote Don Alberto Ravagnani. pic.twitter.com/gruR5YCx3E
— Maurizio Gasparri (@gasparripdl) September 14, 2025
Some parishioners have also complained.
“You are crossing the line Don, a priest must do something else,” one wrote as a comment online. “Forgive me but I mean it… [May] the Lord help you to discern.”
“Dear Don Alberto, you threw yourself into the world and that’s not good for you and for us,” another wrote. “Go back to tradition, only there you will find the true way. Keeping you in my prayers.”
A third asserted to Ravagnani that “showing off your muscles means that the world has corrupted you.”
But Ravagnani isn’t alone in establishing an online presence.
“The criticism of Father Ravagnani comes as priests look to social media to broaden the appeal of the church to younger generations, much to the chagrin of conservatives,” The Telegraph points out.
“A growing number of photogenic priests are using Instagram, TikTok and Facebook to spread the Gospel and tempt people back to the pews on Sundays. Some of them look more like male models or fitness instructors than men of the cloth,” the reporting continues.
There’s reportedly Father Ambrogio Mazzai, who shares photos of himself biking and playing the guitar. Then there’s Father Giuseppe Fusari, who’s known online as “the bodybuilder priest.”
“Another prelate, Father Cosimo Schena from Brindisi in the southern region of Puglia, says his congregation doubled after he started using Facebook and TikTok,” according to The Telegraph.
@don.ambrogioSapevate che il tentato omicidio stradale è punito con la reclusione da 14 a 21 anni?♬ suono originale – Don Ambrogio
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V. Saxena is a staff writer for BizPac Review with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University.
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