Netizens criticize some priest attendees in Pope Francis’ mass

MANILA, Philippines – Several Filipino netizens criticized some bishops, priests and consecrated persons who used their phones and took photos of Pope Francis as he officiated a holy mass at the Manila Cathedral in Intramuros, Manila last Friday morning.

The Papal mass was broadcasted live on television.

Because of venue constraints, only 2,000 selected delegates consisting of 1,500 bishops, priests and nuns and 500 other religious persons were allowed to attend.

When television viewers saw priests bringing out their tablets, smartphones and cameras, many expressed disapproval.

Instead of listening intently to the homily of the Pontiff, the priests incessantly took pictures and videos of him instead.

Although Pope Francis did not seem to be distracted or bothered with the shots, many Filipinos believed it was a sign of disrespect. In microblogging site Twitter, users questioned the act as priests themselves discouraged churchgoers in using gadgets during masses.

With report from Cyra Moraleda