Click to Pray 2.0 - Vatican rolls out app for digital "praying experience"

Click to Pray app: The Vatican rolled out its latest "Click to Pray" app, offering a personal planner among new functions for what it hopes will be an improved digital "praying experience" in a fast-paced world.

In its own mini-version of a Silicon Valley-type unveiling, seven Church officials - including a cardinal - took part in a news conference to illustrate "Click to Pray 2.0", the first major update of the app since it was launched in 2016.

Reporters were shown a punchy, polished video illustrating the app's new functions, including a personal planner to let users configure their moments of prayer for each day and receive reminders to put the rest of the world on hold.

"Praying is not a waste of time, as we sometimes think. Prayer is like the seed in the darkness of the earth, which will show its fruit in its own good time," said Father Frederic Fornos.

The app, available in six Western languages and Chinese, gives users specific intentions for which they can pray together with Pope Francis, such as peace in a particular part of the world.