Catholics to seek forgiveness for their sins via social media Opposition to the selling of indulgences by Martin Luther and others helped drive the Protestant Reformation. Catholics will be expected to closely follow the "rites and pious exercises" that Francis will lead in Rio "through new social communication channels" such as the Pope's Twitter account. The Vatican did not stipulate whether that meant stealing a quick glance at events on YouTube or the television, or following them in depth, but Catholics are required to be in a suitably spiritual state of mind as they peruse their PC, tablet or phone. "You don't obtain an indulgence like you get a coffee from a vending machine," said Monsignor Claudio Maria Celli, the president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communication, which steers the Vatican's approach to new media. It's not enough just to watch a Mass online or follow Pope Francis via live streaming on your iPad or by connecting to Pope2You.net (the Vatican's youth-focused portal). These are just devices," he told Corriere della Sera. What really counts is that the Tweet that the Pope will send from Brazil or the photos from World Youth Day produce genuine spiritual fruit in the heart of the person. Up to 1.5 million Catholics are expected to attend World Youth Day, with several of the set-piece events of the week-long festival to be held on Rio's famed Copacabana beach.