This is the Pope’s first photo of his “new journey on Instagram”

“I am beginning a new journey, on Instagram, to walk with you along the path of mercy and the tenderness of God.”
“I am beginning a new journey, on Instagram, to walk with you along the path of mercy and the tenderness of God.”
Image: Instagram/@franciscus
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The pontiff is on Instagram, and he’s not a fan of the square crop.

Pope Francis kicked off his latest social networking foray today (March 20) with a non-selfie photograph of himself kneeling in prayer, along with a plea, “Pray for me,” that was translated into nine different languages.

The pope has been both a fan and a critic of social networks, saying they are ”a gift from God” and a “fully human” form of communication, but can also be a symptom of “radical loneliness.”

Instagram founder Kevin Systrom was on hand for the inaugural papal post:

The pope scored about 100,000 Instagram followers in his first hour.