The Vatican has blessed Microsoft's cloud apps strategy in the shape of deal that could see Office 365 being rolled out to 43 million Catholic students worldwide.

The secretive and highly conservative organisation, condemned by some as the Anti-Christ, will initially provide the software suite to 4.5 million students via the Catholic International Education Office (OIEC) under the three-year agreement.

“In alliance with Microsoft, we are entering a new era in global Catholic education,” said Father Angel Astorgano, general secretary of OIEC, in a statement. “We will offer the most advanced technology, knowledge and skills to our schools so our next generation of graduates is prepared for the new challenges of the 21st century.”

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Under the deal, students will get access to an online network for Catholic education, and the partners will develop a "curriculum and training to develop digital literacy, help integrate into teaching and learning, and provide blueprints for innovative schooling".