The
founder of social media giant Facebook has asserted the importance of
faith in a Christmas message to followers.
The
previously avowed atheist took to social media over the festive
period to wish one and all a “Merry Christmas and Happy Hannukah”,
prompting one viewer to pose the question: “Aren’t you an
atheist?”
Zuckerberg
was quick to reply: “No. I was raised Jewish and then I went
through a period where I questioned things, but now I believe
religion is very important.”
Zuckerberg’s
words on faith came just months after he and his wife Priscilla
attended a private audience with Pope Francis at the Vatican, a
meeting which had a profound effect on the industry leader.
“We
told him how much we admire his message of mercy and tenderness, and
how he’s found new ways to communicate with people of every faith
around the world.” Zuckerberg wrote later, “It was a meeting
we’ll never forget. You can feel his warmth and kindness, and how
deeply he cares about helping people.” From humble beginnings as a
computer programmer, Zuckerberg became a universally recognised
individual when, along with fellow college students in 2004, he came
up with the idea of an online networking site, Facebook. The site is
used today by one billion people. Zuckerberg is currently ranked by
Forbes magazine as the 10th most powerful individual in
the world.
Together
with his wife, the Facebook founder is responsible for the Chan
Zuckerberg Foundation, an initiative tasked with donating some 45
billion dollars of his internet earnings to charitable causes focused
on education and curing diseases.
(Irish
Catholic, January 5, 2017)
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