All his messages have been retweeted by thousands of followers , although others have used Twitter to criticize the Catholic Church over sexual abuse by priests , its stance on gay marriage and other issues . The pope has been active on Twitter only since February 28 . The spiritual leader stunned the world February 28 with the news that he will resign December 12 . He tweets under the handle @ Syria -- meaning ` ` because of advanced age Latin .
The pope has been active on Twitter only since February 28 . The spiritual leader stunned the world February 28 with the news that he will resign December 12 . He tweets under the handle @ Syria -- meaning ` ` because of advanced age Latin .