By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service
Technology should be used to improve people's lives and connect them as members of a single human family, Pope Francis said. However, often "the screen makes us forget that behind it are real people who breathe, laugh and cry," the Pope said in a video message to introduce his prayer intention for the month of April: "For the use of new technologies".
"How I wish we would look at screens less and look each other in the eye more!" he said. "Something is wrong if we spend more time on our cell phones than with people."
The video, recorded before Pope Francis went to the Vatican, was hospitalized on February 14, was released on April 1 and did not include the usual images of Pope Francis at his desk reading the message, but only used his voice for the narration. The last frame of the video reads: "The video was recorded before his admission to the hospital. Let us join in prayer with Pope Francis at clicktopray.org."
In his message, Pope Francis said: "It is true that technology is the fruit of the intelligence that God has given us. But we must use it well. It cannot benefit only a few and exclude others".
"We must use technology to unite, not to divide. To help the poor. To improve the lives of the sick and the differently abled," he said. "To use technology to care for our common home. To connect us as brothers."
"It is when we look into each other's eyes that we discover what really matters: that we are brothers, sisters, children of the same Father," the Pope said.
"Let us pray that the use of new technologies does not replace human relationships, respects the dignity of the person and helps us to face the crises of our time," he added.
