Pope Francis launched a new digital platform during his weekly Sunday public address. An app will allow believers to pray with the head of the Roman Catholic Church in real time, NDTV reported.
Titled Worldwide Network of Prayer with the Pope, the platform was launched by Pope Francis I during his traditional Sunday address to the world and the tens of thousands gathered in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican.
The network incorporates a phone app called Click to Pray, that tells subscribers what the Pope is praying for at any given moment so anyone of the estimated 1.3 billion Roman Catholics can join in.
Pope Francis once described himself as a "disaster" when it came to understanding and using technology, and turned to the assistance of tech-savvy priests for the ceremony.
"Did I do it?" the Pope asked after swiping a tablet to activate the app, to which the priest acknowledged assent.
The Pope expressed condolences for victims of a car bomb explosion at a police academy in the South American nation of Colombia. The attack occurred Thursday and killed at least 21, injuring dozens more. Colombian authorities put responsibility on the National Liberation Army armed group (ELN).
The Pope referred to the incident as a terrorist attack.