Pope Francis Launches The First Official App For The Vatican Called Missio

Pope Benedict XVI was the first pontiff to open a Twitter account. Now his successor, Pope Francis has released the Vatican’s first official iOS app, Missio. Available for free, the universal app was created by the Pontifical Mission Societies. It was officially launched and blessed by the new leader of the Catholic Church during a ceremony on Saturday, May 17 in the Vatican’s Clementine Hall, according to CNA. Missio includes news and videos from a number of different sources including FIDES, the international news agency of the Pontifical Mission Societies, News.va, Catholic News Service (CNS), and Vatican News Agency. According to its iTunes page, Missio is “designed for Catholics and non-Catholics alike,” and “makes a wonderful companion to one’s spiritual life." It is available in English, Spanish, Italian, German, French, Portuguese, Chinese, and Arabic. Says Oblate Father Andrew Small, national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States:

The app is a way for the church and our Holy Father to reach the growing number of the world's people who have access to handheld mobile devices, a way to connect as the body of Christ.

Formerly the Archbishop of Buenos Aires, Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis on March 13. Missio was developed by Little iApps, and is available for iOS and Android. [gallery]

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