Can the Sacred Be Digital? This question inevitably arises when we witness how deeply spiritual practices are shifting into the digital realm.
From streamed church services to online prayer groups—many things today are just a click away. But does the sacred survive in this translation?
Or does it become a mere simulation in digital form?
A hopeful example can be found in Wittem, a Redemptorist monastery in the Netherlands.
On their website, you can light a candle—not just virtually, but physically.
Those who choose a real novena candle receive a photo via email, see the flame, and know: it is truly burning. On-site. Accompanied by prayer.
Not a technical illusion, but a real ritual made possible through digital means. It’s not about illusion—it’s about connection.
Between person and place. Between intention and reality. This form of digital spirituality convinces through its simplicity, sincerity, and accessibility. It doesn’t lose sight of what truly matters: an experience that goes beyond the screen.
At the same time, certain forms of religious practice remain hard to translate. A baptism via Zoom, a Eucharist in a virtual environment, or a confession through video chat—these examples reveal the limits.
In simulated 3D worlds where avatars recite psalms and altars are made of polygons, what often goes missing is what gives sacred rituals their depth: the echo of a real room, the scent of candles, the shared silence. Instead, there is graphic closeness without touch. Symbols without weight. A liturgy that feels more like a role-playing game.
Still, these experiments are part of an evolving process that takes time.
Perhaps, over time, new rituals will emerge that find their own spiritual depth in the digital.
But making the sacred truly tangible requires more than simply moving existing forms online. It demands care, understanding, and new ideas. In the end, the digital can open doors, create opportunities for encounter, and offer spaces of resonance. Not as a replacement for the sacred, but as a new form of approach.
A careful reaching—not toward what is lost, but toward what can emerge.