Author Information
Susana Dalmao-Dimatira, National University Manila, PhilippinesAbstract
This study explores how Filipino Roman Catholic devotees negotiate authenticity in digitally mediated Lenten practices that emerged and endured following the COVID-19 pandemic. Traditionally embodied and communal rituals such as the Pasyon, Senákulo, and Alay Lakad were forced into digital spaces via livestreams on Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms. Drawing on Patrick Eisenlohr’s concept of “mediacy” and Charles Taylor’s notion of “authenticity,” this research investigates how spiritual presence is reconfigured through technological mediation. Using participant observation and digital ethnography, the study reveals that online participation does not necessarily diminish devotional sincerity. Instead, digital platforms foster new forms of ritual intimacy and communitas seen in real-time comment engagement, shared prayer, and the persistence of devotional memory through social media algorithms. Livestreamed rituals become valid and meaningful spaces of religious expression, particularly for devotees constrained by distance, mobility, or work. While concerns over “pakitang-tao” or performative piety remain, many participants view digital engagement as a sincere extension of faith. Ultimately, the study argues that Filipino Lenten devotion in the digital age is not a departure from tradition but its dynamic reconfiguration where authenticity is affirmed through mediated presence, shared affect, and evolving ritual practice.
Comments
Powered by WP LinkPress