Hold onto your phone: Pope Francis has officially joined Instagram.
Just hours ago, he shared the exciting news with his nearly 9 MILLION English-speaking followers, tweeting:
I am beginning a new journey, on Instagram, to walk with you along the path of mercy and the tenderness of God.
— Pope Francis (@Pontifex) March 19, 2016
Securing the handle @franciscus, Pope Francis — or, rather, the Vatican’s social media team (yes, that exists) — posted his first snap at 7:27 AM EST and captioned it in nine languages:
“Pray for me
Rezad por mí
Pregate per me
صلوا من أجلي
Priez pour moi
Módlcie się za mnie
Rezem por mim
Betet für mich
Orate pro me”
Just a few hours later came a second photo, which was seen by 621K followers and counting. “Instagram will help recount the papacy through images, to enable all those who wish to accompany and know more about Pope Francis’ pontificate to encounter his gestures of tenderness and mercy,” Msgr. Dario E. Viganò, prefect of the Vatican’s Secretariat for Communications, explained in a statement.
The big news comes only a month after Pope Francis met with Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom in Rome. The social media mogul couldn’t help but share his excitement, captioning this photo: “Watching Pope Francis post his first photo to Instagram today was an incredible moment. @franciscus, welcome to the Instagram community! Your messages of humility, compassion and mercy will leave a lasting mark.”
Is it too much to hope for some papal #selfies showcasing the 79-year-old’s charm and #PopeLife? We hope not! He is, after all, the “Cool Pope” for a reason.
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