The Catholic Church has called on believers in Italy to give up text messaging for Lent, as well as abstaining from forms of virtual entertainment and socialising such as TV, iPods and Facebook.

Catholic bishops are hoping their call will help people rediscover “the art of communication” and improve their relationships with each other.

There is also an ethical element to their request as most modern devices such as mobile phones, laptops and cameras contain the mineral coltan, which is mostly mined in the war-torn African country of Congo.

According to the UN Security Council, coltan has been mined illegally by soldiers from neighbouring African countries like Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda.

Francesco Panigadi, from the Modena Missionary Centre, said, “Eighty per cent of coltan used for the construction of electronic gadgets such as mobile phones comes from the Kivu region of the Congo,” reports the Daily Mail.

He added, “During the last ten years the country has been the scene of a brutal war which has claimed more than four million lives – what we are asking is a simple gesture.

“We want people to pause for reflection during Lent and think about this before they send an SMS text message. It would be a sign to remember that as that message is written we are shaping the lives of people far away.”

The Bishop of Modena, Benito Cocchi, also backed the idea saying, “Young people [need] to detox from the virtual world and get back in touch with themselves.”