Pope Francis has called the internet a “gift from God” in a statement that was recently released.

The Pope has said that the internet and other advances in technology have made it easier for people to communicate and engage with one other, and believes that this ease of communication could help bring together those with political, religious and economic differences. On the other hand, due to fast-paced nature of the internet, he admitted that it does make it harder for people to enter into a self-reflective mode.

“The internet, in particular, offers immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity. This is something truly good, a gift from God.”Francis said, and in response to the fact that the internet may not be the nicest place at times he added that, “while these drawbacks are real, they do not justify rejecting social media. Rather, they remind us that communication is ultimately a human rather than technological achievement.”

Since becoming Pope, Francis has made waves in the religious and secular world, in particular for his relatively open-minded views on homosexuality, capitalism and atheism. These views have not brought him a lot of love on the conservative side of the religious world though.

“The digital world can be an environment rich in humanity,” Francis wrote in the statement. “A network not of wires but of people.”

[via The Verge, ABC News, NEWS.VA, image via BostonCatholic’s flickr]