Pope asks priests to become more Web savvy

The pope is asking priests to become more media savvy by preaching to the faithful from the Internet as well as the pulpit.

In his message for the Catholic Church's 2010 World Day for Social Communications, Pope Benedict XVI called on the ministry to use the latest technologies, such as Web sites and blogs, to preach the gospel and encourage a dialogue with their practitioners.
Scheduled for May 16, the theme of the World Day will be "The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word." In his message released Sunday, Pope Benedict told people that church communities have traditionally relied on modern media to open the lines of communication. And as the culture changes, the church needs to use the latest technologies, especially if it wants to reach younger people. "Priests are thus challenged to proclaim the gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources (images, videos, animated features, blogs, Web sites) which, alongside traditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue, evangelization, and catechesis," said Pope Benedict in his message.

The pope acknowledged that new technologies call on priests to become more savvy in their use, yet these technologies can foster deeper types of relationships even across vast distances. The pontiff also urged the ministry to not forget its primary obligation and message.
"Priests present in the world of digital communications should be less notable for their media savvy than for their priestly heart, their closeness to Christ," said Pope Benedict. "This will not only enliven their pastoral outreach, but also will give a 'soul' to the fabric of communications that makes up the Web."

The Vatican has already made its own forays into cyberspace. In addition to its main Web site, the Vatican last year launched the Pope to You site, in which practitioners can access a papal Facebook application, see the Vatican on YouTube, and even download the church's iPhone app.

Pope to You web site

The theme of this year's World Communications Day - The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word - is meant to coincide with the Church's celebration of the Year for Priests. It focuses attention on the important and sensitive pastoral area of digital communications, in which priests can discover new possibilities for carrying out their ministry to and for the Word of God. 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. Click here to go to the Pope2You web site.

Pope2You Multiplayer

With the Pope2You Multiplayer you can view: News, video and photo from Pope2You an H2Onews and the live video of the Pope from Piazza San Pietro

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Facebook Application

Use Facebook to send the Pope’s Message and digital images The application Pope2You for Facebook, allows you, by means of the most popular social network in the world, to share the Message of Pope Benedict XVI for the 44th World Communications Day. You can meet the Pope on Facebook, hear his words, see photos and receive his messages in the form of “virtual cards”. The e-cards and the Message can be sent to your “friends” on Facebook and the application can be shared with others. Thus we can build a network around our Pope.

iPhone App

Follow Benedict XVI and the Church in the world through your iPhone and iPod Touch. The H2Onews application for the iPhone and iPod Touch brings you timely, insightful news about the life of the Church in the world. In collaboration with the Vatican Television Center and Vatican Radio, H2Onews connects you with video and audio news from the Vatican. Through H2Onews, the first video news application dedicated to the Catholic world, you can follow the travels and speeches of Benedict XVI, as well as key international ecclesiastical events.

The application is available in eight languages: Italian, English, French, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarian, and Chinese.

News is available in three formats: video, audio, and text.

Watch the Pope on You Tube

This section lets users from across the world get video news about the life of the Church and about Pope Benedict XVI, through the Vatican's page on You Tube. The video clips, provided by Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Center, represent a new, quick open way through which one can educate oneself and get passionate about the happenings of the Church in the world, in a social and planetary perspective.

Introduction to World Communications Day

World Communications Day, the only worldwide celebration called for by the Second Vatican Council (Inter mirifica, 1963), is celebrated in most countries, on the recommendation of the bishops of the world, on the Sunday before Pentecost. The announcement of the theme is made on September 29, the Feast of the Archangels Michael, Raphael and Gabriel, who has been designated as the patron of those who work in radio. The Holy Father's message for World Communications Day is traditionally published in conjunction with the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, patron of writers (January 24), to allow bishops' conferences and diocesan offices sufficient time to prepare audiovisual and other materials for national and local celebrations.

Presentation of Message

The theme of this year's World Communications Day - The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word - is meant to coincide with the Church's celebration of the Year for Priests. It focuses attention on the important and sensitive pastoral area of digital communications, in which priests can discover new possibilities for carrying out their ministry to and for the Word of God. 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.

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