Vatican Creates New App to Promote 'Pope Francis Style' Homilies

A priest shows Pope Francis a mobile phone before the start of the weekly general audience in the Paul VI Hall at the Vatican, Wednesday, Aug. 2, 2017. AP

Vatican has created a new app for Catholic priest to have access to short sermons, like the ones that are of 'Francis style' homilies.

The free Clerus-App, sponsored by the Vatican's Congregation for the clergy and communication department, allows the priests to reflect and comment on the Gospel.

Francis' daily sermons at Domus Sanctae Marthae, where he lives, tend to be for ten minutes or less. He always advised the priests to give succinct sermons.

"Let your words be simple so that everyone can understand. Don't give long homilies," Francis said in November 2015.

"Allow me to ask you to remember your dad and how very happy he was to have found another parish in a town nearby where the Mass was celebrated without a homily," he added, according to Crux.

"Everyone can understand" simple sermons and "everyone will want to become a better person."

He also asked them to give sermons that are "not boring" and reach for the hearts of the faithful who are listening.

The app, available only in Italian, has been downloaded more than one thousand from Google's Play store. According to Crux, the app seems to attract positive reviews.

The Vatican will offer an English version soon.

The app also can be used for downloading and saving homilies while off-line. Other functions include adding notes, making the text bigger or smaller, choosing between two different background colors and regulating the luminosity of the screen.