Pontiff warns nuns to stop wasting time on social media

Pope Francis has some advice for Catholic nuns.

ChristianToday reports that the Pontiff has warned nuns to resist the temptations of social media and focus on their vocation.

He gave the advice in a new document on women's contemplative life in the Catholic Church, where he said: "In our society, the digital culture has a decisive influence in shaping our thoughts and the way we relate to the world and, in particular, to other people. Clearly, these media can prove helpful for formation and communication.

At the same time, I urge a prudent discernment aimed at ensuring that they remain truly at the service of formation to contemplative life and necessary communication, and do not become occasions for wasting time or escaping from the demands of fraternal life in community.

Nor should they prove harmful for your vocation or become an obstacle to your life wholly dedicated to contemplation."

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One of Twitter's most active nuns, Sister Catherine Wybourne, @Digitalnun, has responded to this publication.

"Those of you who know our community will appreciate we have some concerns over the 'one size fits all' approach of Vultum Dei Quaerere, but we must not allow such concerns to get in the way of what we are about.

We may be small and insignificant, and we certainly aren't holy yet, but that is our aim: holiness. Nothing less will do," she wrote in her blog, iBenedictines.

Sister Wybourne has over 17,000 followers, while the Pope has nearly 10 million followers on Twitter.