"Father Matteo Ferrari, the prior general of the Camaldolese congregation and of the Camaldoli monastery and hermitage in Arezzo, Tuscany, said such digital technologies were specifically designed to create addiction and should absolutely be avoided. Ferrari, 51, published a long letter on Facebook in which he said engaging with social media such as Instagram and TikTok and watching films online presented a challenge for monastic and religious life. He said: We cannot pretend this challenge doesn't exist."
"The hermitage of Camaldoli, located in the middle of a national park and founded by Saint Romuald of Ravenna in the early 11th century, is home to nine monks. The main purpose of the retreat is for the monks to engage in prayer and sacred reading and, when in their individual rooms, to spend time in deep contemplation or meditation. If the room is transformed into a cinema then where does our monastic and Romualdine spirituality end up? Ferrari asked."
The prior of the Camaldoli hermitage urged monks living in the secluded retreat to avoid social media and streaming services, arguing that rooms are sacred places for prayer rather than for Netflix or other platforms. The warning framed digital technologies as designed to create addiction and posed a challenge to monastic and religious life, including engagement with Instagram, TikTok and online films. The hermitage sits in a national park and houses nine monks whose retreat purpose centers on prayer, sacred reading, and deep contemplation. Transforming private rooms into cinemas risks shifting focus from spiritual seeking to cinephile expertise and distraction.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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