The Attention Economy and Digital Catholicism in Brazil: The Case of Priest Fábio de Melo

Abstract

This article examines how the mechanisms of the attention economy, particularly recommendation algorithms and engagement metrics, are reshaping the practices and strategies of evangelization within the Catholic Church in Brazil, generating controversies and ethical dilemmas that are often overlooked in the pursuit of virality and digital visibility. To demonstrate this, the study employs a qualitative methodological approach, combining netnography, content analysis, and digital discourse analysis, focusing on the activity of Fr. Fábio de Melo on Instagram and in the Globo news websites about him during the year 2025. By analyzing the content and public reception of the social media activity of one of the most prominent Catholic digital leaders, Father Fábio de Melo, the study shows how this influencer captures attention by mobilizing “worldly” elements and promoting a form of mediated evangelization that is often subtle or indirect. In this process, an “asymptomatic” Catholicism becomes visible—one more centered on human experience than on the explicit mediation of the divine—engaging with secular repertoires and following mainstream cultural trends in the hope of expanding likes, shares, and overall engagement.