Influencer Priest

Fr Damián María Montes, a Spanish Redemptorist priest, has announced that he will no longer exercise his priestly ministry. A well-known figure across Spain, Fr Damián came to prominence through his participation in the third series of La Voz in 2015, where he reached the quarter-finals. During the programme, he performed secular songs including “Angels” […] Fr Damián María Montes, a Spanish Redemptorist priest, has announced that he will no longer exercise his priestly ministry. A well-known figure across Spain, Fr Damián came to prominence through his participation in the third series of La Voz in 2015, where he reached the quarter-finals. During the programme, he performed secular songs including “Angels” by Robbie Williams. Originally from Granada in southern Spain, he entered the Redemptorist postulancy at the age of 18. After studying at the Pontifical University of Comillas in Madrid, he spent a year on mission in Kolkata, India. On his return, he took his perpetual vows and was ordained a priest in Granada in 2013. He later held a variety of posts in Madrid before being transferred in 2024 to Granada, where he served as rector and superior at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Perpetual Help. Throughout his years in active ministry, he maintained a substantial online presence, with almost 750,000 followers on TikTok and more than 35,000 on Instagram. His videos often took a catechetical form, with Fr Damián answering questions about the faith, alongside posts of himself in secular dress, often connected to the performing arts. One of his most recent Instagram posts showed him graduating after completing studies related to the Spanish poet, playwright and theatre director Federico García Lorca. On his website, he describes his academic career as being “characterized by a marked interdisciplinary approach that integrates literature, theater, pedagogy and humanistic thought.” In his most recent video, explaining his decision to leave the priesthood, he says: “After almost three years of questions, searching, silences and a deep inner struggle, I have decided to definitively retire from the exercise of the priestly ministry.” He adds that he is stepping back “in peace and with a clear conscience, knowing that I truly loved each mission entrusted to me, that I have paved the way, and that I have built necessary bridges of dialogue.” He does not go into detail about his reasons, telling his audience: “There are compelling reasons that I will keep to myself, reasons that support this decision and that made my missionary service extremely difficult.” While speaking warmly about his years as a missionary, he describes recent years as “very sad and very difficult”. He says that, in future, he hopes there will be new opportunities for him and that he might even be able to build a family. On his website, he states that he currently works as academic vice-director of the Ernesto Cardenal Foundation and as a language and literature teacher at the European Lyceum. The story of consecrated men and women leaving their vocations after achieving fame, often dubbed “influencers”, has become increasingly common. Cristina Scuccia, who won the 2014 edition of The Voice Italy , left her order in 2022. Similarly, Father Alberto Ravagnani, an Italian priest with a substantial online following and millions of views on YouTube, also announced his intention to leave the priesthood in February this year in a video posted on Instagram that bore notable similarities to Fr Damián’s. His Instagram account presented a life shaped by secular influences, including skincare, dancing and photographs of himself at the gym, alongside religious content. In 2025, he took part in a paid sponsorship post with Bondsupplements under the caption “Holy yes, but also healthy”. His departure was accompanied by a farewell book, which he promoted on his channel. Last year, the Vatican hosted a gathering of more than 1,000 priests for the Jubilee of Digital Missionaries and Catholic Influencers. While many priests and religious use social media successfully as a tool of evangelisation, bringing people closer to the Church, questions have arisen in recent years about whether such visibility can contribute to the secularisation of holy orders.