Cardinal invites young people to ‘farm aura’ with Christ

In recent weeks, a new trend has gained significant momentum among young people across Latin America: “aura farming.”

In the world of video games, “farming” means collecting points toward a goal. Under the Merriam-Webster Dictionary ’s “Slang and Trending” category, aura farming means “the act of doing something to look cool, impressive, stylish, etc.” To “farm aura,” the dictionary further explains, means to “do something in order to enhance one’s coolness.”

The expression spread rapidly on social media platforms like TikTok, sparking curiosity and a following, primarily among Gen Z youth. However, the phenomenon’s viral nature quickly moved from screens to the streets.

Through specific gestures that have become hallmarks of the trend, young people gather to “farm aura” and even hold competitions featuring distinctive poses, facial expressions, or ways of walking, with the surrounding crowd deciding who performed best.

Cardinal Fernando Chomali, archbishop of Santiago, Chile, recently reflected on this new trend: “‘Aura farming’ is a desperate cry from young people to be seen, heard, valued, loved, and acknowledged. It’s a different version of the ‘therian’ trend [a…