Are you in a parasocial relationship?

Dr. Philippa Martyr addressed the risks of Catholic celebrity culture and parasocial relationships in a column for The Catholic Weekly. She noted that a bishop in the United States recently instructed a priest serving as an exorcist to withdraw from public engagements for one year.

Martyr expressed concern that online fame and media cycles can negatively affect clergy and their followers. She observed that some supporters focus on spreading news about specific Catholic personalities rather than the Gospel. This tendency toward personality cults can distract from a person's primary relationship with God.