Pope sends his first Twitter message

A picture is worth a thousand words… of encouragement for us to engage in social media.

And the effort is paying off. In less that 24 hours he already has some 50,000 followers at @news_va_en.

Benedict, has recognized the power of digital media throughout his papacy and demonstrates Vatican commitment to use social media in the service of the gospel. Benedict’s tweet read: “Dear Friends, I just launched News.va Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI”.

The Associated Press reports that an aide described  him “as “interested and impressed,” and “clearly enjoying it.”

“Church communities have always used the modern media for fostering communication, engagement with society, and, increasingly, for encouraging dialogue at a wider level. Yet the recent explosive growth and greater social impact of these media make them all the more important for a fruitful priestly ministry,” he said last year, affirming the thousands of Catholic tweeters and bloggers who take their ministry online.

Catholicon, a church tech conference, is coming to Houston later this summer, and surveys show that the faith crowd in general is getting more and more connected online.

Elizabeth Drescher—author ofTweet If You ♥ Jesus—  refers to a Digital Reformation,” she said in a post on Religion Dispatches, “a revitalization of religion driven by the often ad hoc spiritualities of ordinary believers as they integrate practices of access, connection, participation, creativity, and collaboration encouraged by the widespread use of new digital social media into all aspects of daily life, including the life of faith.”

Google already references more than 1,000 news articles to this event.

 

 

 

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Tags: Pope, social media and networks, Twitter, Vatican