“Be wary of social media,” Pope Francis warns nuns

The Holy Father was highly complimentary of nuns throughout the Church

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis has warned nuns to exercise caution when using social media in his latest apostolic constitution, ’Vultum Dei Quarere’ (literally, 'Seeking the Face of God'), which gives new rules and advice for sisters of the Catholic church. 

 Although the Pope acknowledges sites such as Facebook and Twitter can be “useful tools for education and communication,” he also warns that they can lead one to “stray away from fraternal life” and “obstruct religious contemplation.” 

 These warnings were part of the constitution’s broader message to safeguard “fundamental values” of contemplative life while entering into dialogue with modern society, and that these values “must challenge the mentality of contemporary society.”

 Nevertheless, the Pope was full of praise for nuns and their activity across the church: “Dear Sisters,” he writes, “what would our Church be without you, what would come of those who live on the fringes of humanity and preach the gospel to those who need it most? The Church needs you!”

 The Pope’s constitution also encouraged the establishment of groups of female monasteries, which he deemed “structures of communion between convents that all share the same charisma.” 

 Nonetheless, the pontiff also warned against recruiting candidates from other countries to ensure that convents did not wither away, stating that such conduct was “absolutely to be avoided.”