The Vatican has announced the first major update to its 2016 prayer app, "Click To Pray." The changes and new features on the app make it more user-friendly and convenient for use in daily life. The unveiling came on October 19, at a Vatican conference for journalists and reporters.
This is just the latest effort by Pope Francis to utilize modern technology to promote the Catholic faith. Since becoming pope in 2013, Pope Francis has amassed some 19 million followers on Twitter, with another 8 million on Instagram. The pontiff has found great success on social media and now he’s hoping to make an impact with the second iteration of the prayer app.
New features
Among the new features of Click To Pray is a daily planner that helps users set aside time for prayer. The app notifies users when the allotted time for prayer comes, and gives you tips to make the most of your time. The app also provides daily morning, afternoon, and evening prayers while allowing users to look ahead to see what comes next.
Pope Francis has a special section of his own where the faithful can pray for his intentions. In the month of October, the pope has asked for prayers for “Missionary Disciples,” but previous intentions have included “environmental sustainability,” “The Church on its Way,” and “Social Friendship.” The pope provides monthly prayers and offering prayers for each intention. The section also includes intentions from the Conference of Bishops.
Reaching the younger generations
According to Reuters, Fr. Frederic Fornos said at the unveiling:
Fr. Fornos’ comment points to the heart of Click to Pray's goal of reaching the younger generations and instilling in them a love of prayer. To help achieve this goal, there is a section titled “School of Prayer,” which gives pointers to those who may not know where to start. These tips include what to do with your body while at prayer, choosing a prayerful location, duration of prayer, and ways to facilitate an encounter with God.
A community at prayer
To cap it all off, Click to Pray has a section where users can submit their own prayers. In this “Community” section, submitted prayers can be perused by any user and they can also be commented on. These conversations can help to connect the faithful and lend support for prayer intentions. For example, on October 21, Jakub Slaba wrote:
Users have already submitted thousands of these prayers in English and Spanish. Each day brings a fresh batch of reverent prayers from faithful Catholics who wish to share their experience with those who need it most.
While the app is an excellent use of technology in Catholic traditions, the bishops warned that it is not meant to replace “low-tech” prayer. Reuters reports that at the unveiling Monsignor Lucio Ruiz, secretary of the Vatican's communications department, commented:
Visit the Click To Pray website to see all the new features. and then download it at the App store or Google Play Store.
