Pope says nope to smartphones at dinner

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Pope Francis welcomes the presence of smartphones - but not at dinner.
Pope Francis welcomes the presence of smartphones - but not at dinner.
Photo: Catholic Herald

We know Pope Francis is a fan of technology. He is on Twitter with 8 million followers and when in public, the guy never turns down a selfie request.

But His Holiness wants us all to put away our smartphones when seated at the dinner table.

Francis did not stutter on this point during his weekly general audience Wednesday at St. Peter’s Square, telling the thousands gathered that mealtime is a key time to strengthen family bonds and foster “togetherness.”

“A family that almost never eats together, or that never speaks at the table but looks at the television or the smartphone, is hardly a family,” the Pope said. “When children at the table are attached to the computer or the phone and don’t listen to each other, this is not a family, this is a pensioner.”

The pontiff, of course, is not the first to opine on the cultural phenomena of dining in silence while our screens magnetically lock in on our faces and brains. But if one of the world’s most popular and influential spiritual leaders can’t start such a crusade, who can?

Source: Catholic News Agency and Mashable

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