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Instagram Will Soon Be Home to Pope Francis Selfies

By
Don Reisinger
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By
Don Reisinger
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March 16, 2016, 11:49 AM ET

The Pope will soon have a new digital home.

Pope Francis will have an official Instagram account starting on March 19, Italian news service ANSA reported on Tuesday. The news service cited an interview with the Prefect for Communications, Monsignor Dario Viganò, who told Vatican Radio that Pope Francis will use the Instagram handle “Franciscus.”

The Next Web earlier cited the interview.

Francis was appointed Pope in 2013 and quickly shook up the Catholic Church. He has since shared several opinions on a swath of topics, including climate change and gay marriage—issues that previous Popes have largely ignored. His somewhat-liberal policies have earned him a loyal following among people who have hoped to see change in the Catholic Church, and he has used several communications channels—both traditional and new-age—to share them with the world. Indeed, the Pope has referred to the Internet as “a gift from God,” and he has held a few Google Hangout video calls.

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The Pope seemed to again acknowledge the important role technology plays in the lives of people around the world by meeting in January with Apple (AAPL) CEO Tim Cook and Alphabet (GOOGL) executive chairman Eric Schmidt, according to USA Today. It’s unknown what they discussed.

Ironically, the Pope has acknowledged in the past that he’s not technologically savvy. However, last year, his iPad was sold at a charity auction for $30,500. His staff also manages a Twitter (TWTR) account that draws 8.8 million followers. While it’s unclear how many tweets are actually his own, it’s believed that Pope Francis at least occasionally asks his staff to share certain messages.

It’s also unknown as to why the Pope has decided to open an Instagram account, but it might have something to do with a meeting he held last month.

Read more: Pope Francis Met With Instagram CEO to Discuss Power of Images

According to a TIME report last month, Instagram CEO and co-founder Kevin Systrom met with Pope Francis at the Vatican. According to the report, he brought with him a “curated book of 10 Instagram images” designed to illustrate how pictures can “unite people across borders, cultures and generations.” The book reportedly included photos from the Nepal earthquake and last year’s Baltimore protests.

For more on Pope Francis, watch:

Whatever the reason, the Pope is now coming to Instagram. Starting on Saturday, he’ll be sharing images with the world.

Let’s just hope he doesn’t develop a selfie addiction.

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By Don Reisinger
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