91Èȱ¬

Pope Francis has launched an app to encourage Catholics around the world to pray with him.

Click to Pray tells the user what the pontiff is praying for, such as a country hit by a natural disaster or conflict, so they can join him.

Thousands watched in St Peter's Square as the Pope, who once said he was a "disaster" with technology, showed it on a tablet held by an aide.

After swiping on the tablet, he turned to his aide and asked "Did I do it?"

From the upstairs window of the Apostolic Palace, Pope Francis said: "Today, I have two pains in my heart. Colombia and the Mediterranean."

He was referring to a car bomb in Colombia that killed 20 police cadets and the death of 170 migrants in shipwrecks in the Mediterranean Sea.

Pope Francis said the internet was a way "to stay in touch with others, to share values and projects and to express the desire to form a community."

The app is available in six languages and has been launched ahead of World Youth Day 2019.