Such hardened hearts often were behind the persecution of innocent men and women seeking to follow God's will.

"That there are over 20 million people callously held in modern slavery in our world today is a mark of deep shame on the face of our human family."

Once a cherished pilgrimage site, much of the St. Elian monastery had been reduced to a pile of stones.

The society said its legal status in the church wasn't discussed but that lower-level talks would continue "without haste."

He hit the million-follower mark in just 12 hours, making his "our fastest growing account on Instagram to date."

"How beautiful it would be if in every diocese there were a structural work of mercy: a hospital, a home for the aged or abandoned children... a home for recovering drug addicts."