Last year, Pope Francis warned German youths against the dangers of the internet. He’s also not a fan of Facebook, the lecherous cave of depravity we all loathe but still use. Now it seems his next technological target is texting:
“The great challenge facing us today is to learn once again how to talk one another, not simply how to generate and consume information,” he said in a message for the church’s World Social Communications Day, which will take place in May.
The pope conceded that modern media is an essential part of every young person’s life, but warned that “the media can be a hindrance if they become a way to avoid listening to others, to avoid physical contact.”
Rather, the pope said, modern media was important in helping family members keep in contact, to thank others or seek forgiveness or to “open doors to new encounters.” (Via CBS News)
These are all wonderful, idealistic notions, and Francis is right to warn against the perils of indirect communication via ALL CAPS, endless exclamation marks, and emojis. Unfortunately, he loses some credibility once you remember he has an official Twitter account.
The family is the greatest treasure of any country. Let us all work to protect and strengthen this, the cornerstone of society.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) January 16, 2015
IRL a younger bishop or priest is most likely directing the Pope’s social media efforts. Even so, it’s still a bit of a cop out from the holiest of holy persons in all the Roman Catholic land. LOL.
(Via CBS News)