Don Cosimo Schena defines himself «a simple person who is amazed by the little things». He says it without hesitation, with the naturalness of someone who doesn’t need to build a character. Yet, his life today is anything but simple: digital missionary followed from all over the world (on Instagram he has over 500 thousand followers and is the most followed Italian priest in the world, second only to the Pope), television face, author, singer, psychologist, parish priest of the church of San Francesco d’Assisi, in Brindisi. And, for a few weeks, also new commentator of the Liturgical Week of Believe. It is on this occasion that I meet him: to talk about his way of bringing the Gospel into his life and that of those who follow him.
A complex mission
When I ask him to describe himself without starting from his role as a priest, he smiles: «It’s difficult because, ultimately, that’s all I do. The parish, social media, books, music… Everything is part of me. I don’t consider it something extraordinary: all these facets are pieces of my person”. And, despite experiencing dense and different days, his way of looking at reality remains the same: «Life, for me, is always a surprise».
To understand what he means, just look at the territory in which his ministry lives: «My parish is frequented by simple families, workers who get up early, grandparents who keep ties together and kids who are looking for their place in the world. There are economic, family and emotional hardships”, explains, «but also a tenacious beauty: that of those who don’t give up». Every day, he adds, «I meet people who arrive tired, but who retain the ability to smile, to make a good gesture, to ask you: “Don, will you pray for me?”».
In recent years, Don Cosimo Schena’s visibility has grown to the point of receiving hundreds, sometimes thousands, of messages every day from Europe, South America, Africa, Australia… No longer just the faithful of his parish, but a vast community that entrusts him with stories, fears and requests for help. «For me followers are not numbers, they are people»explains. «I feel a great responsibility. It’s like listening to the faithful who come to the parish, but multiplied by a thousand”. It is also for this reason, he adds, that his psychological training becomes part of the service: “Sometimes it’s not enough to bring the Word of God. We need to understand people’s minds and accompany those who experience difficult times”.
Daily life
Beyond his work on social media, however, his life is that of a neighborhood parish priest: the day starts early, «with the church opening and the weekday Mass». After, «the doorbell ringing, a person asking for “just five minutes”, a visit to the sick, a funeral, a baptism…». A few days ago, he tells me, a person entered the church “just to be silent for a moment”. She was lost, “he no longer knew how to talk to God”. He didn’t look for explanations or advice, “just someone to stay there”. So they sat next to each other, in silence. «On that occasion I understood once again where I am called to be a priest».
Looking at him in the videos he publishes on social media, Don Cosimo always appears like a priest with a measured and kind, almost collected language. Live, however, it ensures that it is “much happier” than it appears online: «When people meet me, they always tell me that this part of me isn’t seen enough». In part it is the screen that acts as a filter, in part it is also a choice: «Social media is a showcase and the first impact remains. I am aware of the fact that my image is striking, but I always try to remain humble. I would never be able to show myself in ways that don’t belong to me. I want Christ to be at the center, not me”. A concept that comes up several times during our conversation: «We must bring Christ, not ourselves. It’s important!”
Between social media and television
This same attention to authenticity also guides his way of communicating on TV. For almost two years, in fact, the influencer priest has been a guest on various programs: commentator a Italian storiessent to the sanctuaries for Your Factsweekly entry a On the side of the animals. «Television requires a different language than social media, but the criterion is the same: putting the Gospel at the center». And he adds: «At the beginning it wasn’t my world: I studied every place I visited and every story I had to tell. It was tiring, but also a gift, because it allowed me to get to know places that I would probably never have seen otherwise.”.
Then there is his relationship with animals, a trait that has also made him much loved on social media. In fact, two dogs that he saved from abandonment live with him in the parish: Tempesta, a tireless beagle, and Baloo, a white shepherd with a mild temperament. «Every day they teach me free love, the one without profit. They welcome everyone for who they are. Animals should not be humanized, but their affection really knows how to take care of life”.
Affection and care
During our conversation we also address the topic of loneliness, often at the center of his reflections. «Loneliness is the new poverty»he tells me. «I must admit that I don’t experience it much, because I have a large and very present family. But I know that, even in the most difficult moments, God is always there.”. And he adds: «He is the one who puts me back on my feet when I think I can’t do it».
This loneliness – personal and social – that he talks to me about, he says he often encounters in the parish. The concerns he hears are many: families in crisis, precarious jobs, disoriented young people, adults who no longer know how to start again… «The questions that lead me are direct: “How do I move forward?”, “Where is God in what I live?”, “Have I done everything wrong?”, “Is it normal to believe and doubt?”». People’s needs are different, he explains, but they have a common root: «Above all, those close to the Church need to be relieved of their feelings of guilt. Those who are far away need to feel welcomed without conditions. Ultimately, everyone is looking for the same thing: someone who really listens to them.”.
The announcement of the Gospel
Today Don Cosimo describes his journey as a time of “crossing”: a phase in which he feels he is experiencing a different way of announcing the Gospel. «I am evangelizing in a new way. I don’t know how long it will last, because the digital world goes in waves. But if in this moment I have the opportunity to bring God into people’s lives, I do it with enthusiasm and perseverance”. A commitment that would not be possible without its cornerstone: prayer. «It’s what can never be missing: it’s my fuel. If that fails, everything fails.”he underlines. It is what allows him not to lose the balance between public exposure and interior life, between the speed of social media and the depth of his daily ministry.
During his new adventure on Believethe priest wishes to offer readers comments that speak to the present, avoiding moralism and maintaining a language close to everyone’s life. «The Word is always current. The Gospel, every time you read it, can say something new. With my words I try to avoid the usual “edifying story”, I prefer to start from the stories I encounter every day”. The objective is one: to help the reader find a concrete orientation in Scripture. «The Word can give us that leap to live a beautiful life, just as God intended it for us». And while Baloo, his white shepherd, demands attention at the end of the interview, Don Cosimo adds a thought that contains the meaning of his commitment: «I am everything I do. But what matters is not me, it’s God. And if through my voice someone can feel a little closer, then my mission is accomplished”.
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