MANILA, Philippines – With the papacy now in the hands of Pope Francis, it seems the growing interest in Catholicism has created a surge in interest for Catholic apps, such as The Pope App.

The Catholic News Agency reports that The Pope App, a Vatican-sponsored news application for iOS and Android devices, has managed to gain significant traction in the Apple market. The Pope App became the most-downloaded news app for iPhone in the U.S., Canada, Spain, Venezuela, Peru, Poland, Chile, Mexico, Portugal, and Argentina, Pope Francis’ home country. It’s also ranked in the top 10 in at least 8 other countries, according to the Pontifical Council for Social Communications.

Managed by the Pontifical council, The Pope app, acts as a feed for news, speeches, videos, and pitcures of the Pope. It also offers access to live coverage of papal events and webcams at areas in the Vatican, such as St. Peter’s Basilica and the papal retreat at Castel Gandolfo.

It seems Catholic apps won’t end there, as interested parties wil also be able to take a look at The Holy Shroud on iPads beginning Good Friday, March 29.

This application, which will be made available in free and paid (3.59 Euros) versions, will allow users to download the Shroud and explore the entire cloth in detail, seeing everything from wax stains to the marks of the drawing pins used in the 1898 exposition of the Shroud.

The app will also provide context, having data sheets about the details of the image, the investigations done on the shroud, as well as historical events pertaining to the Shroud of Turin. –Rappler.com