Pope urges faithful to consult Bible as often as cellphones

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis has called on the faithful to consult the Bible with the same frequency as they might consult their cellphones for messages.

Francis urged a packed St. Peter's Square, following his weekly Angelus blessing Sunday, to give the Bible the same place in daily life as cellphones, asking: "What would happen if we turned back when we forget it, if we opened it more times a day, if we read the message of God contained in the Bible the way we read messages on our cellphones."

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The message was a twist on Francis' frequent use of social media to reach the faithful, including regular messages on Twitter.