The head of Egypt's Coptic Church has shut down his Facebook page, saying he has quit the site as it's a "waste of time", Sky News reported.

Pope Tawadros II's decision comes after the church ordered monks off social media, giving them a month to "voluntarily renounce these behaviours that are not true to monastic life".

In his final Facebook post, Tawadros II said that using social media is a "waste of time, age and life".

"That is why I am shutting down my personal Facebook page and I salute all my brothers and sons who have followed the instructions of my sacred church," he said.

Several senior Coptic Church officials have followed Tawadros' example and shut down their Facebook pages.