Pope: Happiness not a smartphone app

Pope Francis told thousands of teenagers during a service Sunday that happiness cannot be downloaded on a smartphone. 

“Your happiness has no price. It cannot be bought and sold: it is not an application you download on a mobile phone. Even the latest version cannot help you to grow and become free in love,” he said, according to Agence France Presse.

{mosads}According to the newswire, he made his remarks during a weekend in which tens of thousands of teenagers were in the country for an event. At another point, Pope Francis, holding an iPhone, said, “Always be sure to go where there is a network: family, parish, school.”

Francis, who became pope in 2013, has spoken favorably about the internet and technology in general throughout his tenure. The Vatican has an active social media presence, with more than 9 million people following his account. 

In 2014, he called the internet a “gift from God,” but he also cautioned about people being left behind because they lack access to the internet or social media. 

Before meeting with Apple CEO Tim Cook back in January, the pope said that social media, emails and texts are all fully human forms of communication. He said social media can promote relationships but also cautioned that it can lead to further polarization.