Modern fasting: CBCP bids Catholics to do digital media detox for Lent

For the coming Lenten season, the Catholic Bishops' Conference of the Philippines is inviting the faithful to not just do their usual Lenten abstinence but also commit to digital media fasting.  

Millions of Filipino Catholics will be marking the beginning of the Lenten season on Feb. 18, Ash Wednesday. A 40-day period of prayer and fasting, Lent spans six weeks and is observed by general acts of sacrifice as Catholics recall Jesus' suffering and death. 

According to the 2020 Census of Population and Housing conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority, over 85 million Filipinos in the country, or 78.8% of the 108 million population in 2020, identified as Roman Catholic. 

Traditionally, those aged 18 to 59 are obliged to fast and eat just one full meal on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday. Additionally, ages 14 and up are obliged to abstain from meat on Ash Wednesday, Good Friday, and all Fridays throughout Lent. Exempted from this practice are those who are physically or mentally ill, pregnant, nursing, or have a chronic disease. 

This year, CBCP released a statement inviting Catholics to fast beyond food. 

"Today, constant engagement with phones, social media, streaming, gaming, and online entertainment often absorbs our attention and weakens our interior life," wrote Most Rev. Gilbert A. Garcera, D.D., archbishop of Lipa and president of CBCP. 

"True fasting, as Jesus teaches is not an external performance but an interior conversion. Digital media fasting, therefore, invites a rediscovery of silence, prayer, contemplation, and authentic relationships. It is not meant to punish the body but to free the heart," he continued. 

Excessive media use, he wrote, "often leads to distraction, fatigue, loss of focus, weakened relationships, and diminished spiritual awareness. Constant connectivity leaves little room for silence and reflection."

The archbishop was careful to emphasize that digital media fasting is not anti-technology. 

"Rather, it asks: How can Christ guide our use of media? The virtuous use of technology becomes a tool for good rather than a source of distraction. Each person's practice may differ, but all are called to freedom in Christ," he wrote. 

The archbishop went on to enumerate the ways Catholics can practice this modern mode of fasting:

1. Avoid phone use right before sleeping and soon after waking
2. Cut down time on social media and streaming
3. Leave out devices during meals and gatherings
4. Occasionally do a 24-hour or weekend digital fast
5. Delete distracting apps from devices
6. Pray, serve, read, or have a conversation instead of scrolling

When done consistently, CBCP shared the following fruits of digital media fasting:

• A deeper relationship with God 
• Greater mental clarity
• Peace brought on by the absence of constant stimulation
• Better rest and more energy
• Stronger relationships with family, friends, and the community
• Renewed appreciation for creation and real-life experiences
• "The Lord calls us to fast not with gloomy faces but with joyful hearts seeking renewal. In stepping back from digital excess, we reclaim interior silence, deepen relationships, and rediscover God's presence in daily life," wrote the archbishop in conclusion.