Pope Francis urges people to put away their iPhones

He said a great challenge facing people today is learning how to talk to one another again, rather than simply generating and consuming information on social media sites. 

In his annual message for the church's World Day of Communications, Francis said media can help family members keep in touch, but also enable others to avoid one another.

'The great challenge facing us today is to learn once again how to talk to one another, not simply how to generate and consume information,' he said. 

The Pope said children first learn to communicate in the family and work out how to get along with people of different ages and experience.

As a result, he said, families are the model for all communications as it is in the family where children first learn to forgive. 

'A perfect family does not exist,' he said. 'We should not be fearful of imperfections, weaknesses or even conflict, but rather learn how to deal with them constructively.' 

In a letter written to the 20 new princes of the church he also told them to avoid ostentatious festivities that 'stun worse than grappa on an empty stomach' after they are formally elevated.

Traditionally new cardinals are thrown lavish parties in Rome, often funded by parishioners, after the Vatican ceremony where they receive their red hats - expected to take place next month. 

Francis, known for his personal simplicity, said it would be fine to celebrate but urged his new cardinals to accept a party 'with humility' and keep their egos in check. 

'Maintaining humility in service isn't easy if you consider being a cardinal as a prize, as the culmination of a career or a superior power,' he said in the letter published in the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano.

He has frequently spoken out against careerism in the church. 

(dailymail.co.uk)