Pope Francis joins Instagram and breaks the internet

Pope Francis has joined Instagram to mark his third anniversary as pope, becoming an instant hit on the photo sharing app with tens of thousands following him within minutes.

“I am beginning a new journey, on Instagram, to walk with you along the path of mercy and the tenderness of God” tweeted the Pontiff to his 27 million followers.

As of press, he had gained close to half a million followers and nearly 100 thousand likes on the photo. Tens of thousands were following him with each ticking clock.

Using the handle Franciscus, the Pope who has a wider social media presence and following captioned his debut picture of himself in worship with a request for prayers.

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