VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis met with Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, along with his wife Priscilla Chan on Monday to discuss the role played by technology in alleviating world poverty and spreading the Catholic church’s message. 

 Greg Burke, the newly-appointed director for the Holy See’s press office, was the one to deliver the details of the meeting: “[Pope Francis and Zuckerbeg] spoke about how to best use communication technology to reduce levels of poverty, encourage a culture of encounter and solidarity, and send out a message of hope, especially to those who find themselves in periods of adversity.”

 This is not the first time social media has featured on Pope Francis’ agenda. In late July, the pontiff warned nuns of the Catholic church to “be wary of sites like Facebook and Twitter," saying that although they were “useful tools for education and communication” they could lead one to “stray away from fraternal life” and “obstruct religious contemplation.” 

 Pope Francis does not own a Facebook account, but an Instagram account which he opened in March boasts of over three million followers. 

 Meanwhile, the Facebook CEO was making a visit to the capital's LUISS University on Monday afternoon, where he was running a seminar with students. 

 Zuckerberg’s trip to Italy also included a visit to Modena in the northern Emilia-Romagna region, where he and his wife enjoyed a meal at Michelin-starred chef Massimo Bottura’s famous Osteria Francescana.

 The social media magnate couldn’t refuse a tour of the Villa San Donnino, where he was initiated into the secrets of the area's renowned balsamic vinegar production.

 He was in Italy for the wedding of fellow social media director Daniel Ek, who founded the music streaming service Spotify back in 2008. 

lej