In 2012, the Vatican launched the Pope's Twitter account. The move was spearheaded by Monsignor Paul Tighe, who was secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communication at that time.
Ordained in 2016, Bishop Tighe, who is a native of Co Meath, could see the benefit of the Pope using Twitter to reach out to people.
The account now has one of the biggest followings in the World. The Vatican has since extended its social media reach to other platforms like Instagram.
The Catholic Church is not alone in its use of social media. Beyond the collective gatherings of masses and other services, most faiths have been using Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to extend their reach to followers.