Why the Pope swore never to watch TV again

Do not be misled by the Pope’s Facebook and Twitter pages or even the official emails he sends; Pope Francis does not access the internet at all.

The Pope has never used a computer, and he has never used a cell phone.

So how does he communicate with the faithful in this digital age? Sources from the Vatican say that The Pope provides a handwritten draft in his tiny script to his secretary.

Additionally, the Vatican Press Office (VPO) prepares the tweets for his nine @pontifex Twitter accounts, which have 20 million followers. Once they have been approved, the VPO sends them out.

If not using a computer or phone is not enough, Pope Francis does not watch television.

In 1990, the Pope made a vowed to Virgin Mary that he would not set his eyes on a TV screen.

Interestingly, the vow was not for anything special really. He just reckoned that it was not for him.

 “I have not watched TV since 1990. It’s a promise that I made to the Virgin of Carmen on the night of 15^th July 1990. I told myself: It’s not for me.” He said, speaking to an Argentinian newspaper, La Voz Del Pueblo.

There are no exceptions, even to one of his favorite indulgences: football.

The only way he gets to know the happenings of his favorite team, San Lorenzo de Almagro in Buenos Aire,s is through the Swiss Guard who he appointed to update him regularly on match results and league table positions.

He has also warned that the abundance of data and the digital stimulation consumed each day can amount to a kind of mental pollution that can cause a dent in our relationships.

It’s safe to say that Pope Francis has a love-hate relationship with the internet rather, technology.

Don’t get the Pope wrong, he does not believe that the Internet is evil.  In fact, he calls it a “Gift from God” when used properly.

“Communications is paramount with him,” said journalist Robert Draper, who wrote the August National Geographic cover story about how Francis is changing the Vatican.

“It’s not just that he’s resigned to the fact that this is the way, in particular, young people communicate. He embraces it,” Draper added.

He also embraces it as a tool that scientists can use to save Earth.

Pope Francis not only compares technical knowledge to artistic prowess, he also says technological talents are “God-given.”

Renewable alternatives to fossil fuels and plastics are still far in the future, but many tech companies in the United States have already started making changes, which concur with the Pope’s message.

Apple is powering data centers with renewable and solar energy, and Google is also using green power and clean energy for its operations.

Science finally agrees with the Church about something.