Pope Francis apparently dislikes the way pilgrims and even priests and bishops take pictures with their smartphones during prayers. He urged them to put down their devices as Mass is a holy occasion and “not a show.”
“At a certain point the priest leading the ceremony says ‘lift up our hearts’. He doesn't say ‘lift up our mobile phones to take photographs,’” the 80-year-old head of the Catholic Church told the audience who gathered in the Vatican’s Saint Peter’s Square on Wednesday, as cited by Vatican Radio.
“It’s so sad when I’m celebrating Mass here or inside the basilica and I see lots of phones held up –not just by the faithful, but also by priests and bishops! Please! Mass is not a show!” the pontiff said, adding that the holy prayer is first and foremost a celebration of the “resurrection of the Lord.”
This is not the first time the pontiff has spoken out against smartphones. In 2014 he urged young people to stop wasting time chatting online and fiddling with their smartphones. The pope was addressing German altar servers – young people who help the priest during religious services.
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Pope Francis, born Jorge Mario Bergoglio in Argentina, has become extremely popular for his open-minded speeches, as well as for his noted humility. Once he even shared 10 tips for living a happy, peaceful and fulfilled life.
The pontiff seems to be quite popular in the world of social media – he has over 14 million followers on his English-language Twitter account and 5 million on Instagram.