The Vatican all a-Twitter
The gospel this Second Sunday of Advent focuses on the ministry of John the Baptist who, in the tradition of the prophet Isaiah, spoke with “a voice of one crying out in the desert.” Communications technology has evolved a bit since biblical times, so it was . . .
The gospel this Second Sunday of Advent focuses on the ministry of John the Baptist who, in the tradition of the prophet Isaiah, spoke with “a voice of one crying out in the desert.”
Communications technology has evolved a bit since biblical times, so it was perhaps inevitable that the pope would begin posting messages on the social network Twitter. The Vatican announced Monday that Pope Benedict XVI will tweet under the handle @pontifex, a Latin term meaning "bridge-builder." Within hours of the announcement he had more than 250,000 followers.
Benedict is expected to send his first post at a general audience at the Vatican on Dec. 12 in response to questions about matters of the faith that are now being accepted via the hashtag #askpontifex, officials said. “The pope’s presence on Twitter can be seen as the ‘tip of the iceberg’ that is the church’s presence in the world of new media,” a Vatican statement said.
Benedict’s posts will go out in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish. Other languages are expected to be added in the future. The messages will mostly feature the contents of the pope’s speeches at his weekly general audience and Sunday blessings as well as homilies on major holidays and reactions to major world events like natural disasters.
The pope, who still writes his speeches and books by hand, has given a qualified blessing to social networking. In a document issued last year he said the possibilities of new media and social networks offered "a great opportunity" but warned of the risks of depersonalization.
Benedict will post messages however often he feels like it, just do not expect him to start following others on Twitter or retweeting their posts, said Greg Burke, a former Fox News correspondent in Rome who was named a Vatican communications adviser this year. “He won’t follow anyone for now,” Burke added. “He will be followed.”
Homily hint: How many of those gathered today use Twitter? Facebook? Other social media? A show of hands likely would reveal a dramatic generational divide on these questions. Parents, teachers, and all those in ministry need to gain some “internet literacy” in order to better understand the online world many younger people inhabit.
Communications technology has evolved a bit since biblical times, so it was perhaps inevitable that the pope would begin posting messages on the social network Twitter. The Vatican announced Monday that Pope Benedict XVI will tweet under the handle @pontifex, a Latin term meaning "bridge-builder." Within hours of the announcement he had more than 250,000 followers.
Benedict is expected to send his first post at a general audience at the Vatican on Dec. 12 in response to questions about matters of the faith that are now being accepted via the hashtag #askpontifex, officials said. “The pope’s presence on Twitter can be seen as the ‘tip of the iceberg’ that is the church’s presence in the world of new media,” a Vatican statement said.
Benedict’s posts will go out in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, and Spanish. Other languages are expected to be added in the future. The messages will mostly feature the contents of the pope’s speeches at his weekly general audience and Sunday blessings as well as homilies on major holidays and reactions to major world events like natural disasters.
The pope, who still writes his speeches and books by hand, has given a qualified blessing to social networking. In a document issued last year he said the possibilities of new media and social networks offered "a great opportunity" but warned of the risks of depersonalization.
Benedict will post messages however often he feels like it, just do not expect him to start following others on Twitter or retweeting their posts, said Greg Burke, a former Fox News correspondent in Rome who was named a Vatican communications adviser this year. “He won’t follow anyone for now,” Burke added. “He will be followed.”
Homily hint: How many of those gathered today use Twitter? Facebook? Other social media? A show of hands likely would reveal a dramatic generational divide on these questions. Parents, teachers, and all those in ministry need to gain some “internet literacy” in order to better understand the online world many younger people inhabit.
Sources: Articles by Philip Pullella for Reuters and Haia Pianigiani and Rachel Donadio for the New York Times