Scottish Catholic Observer

Pope Benedict XVI has posted his first message on the social networking site Twitter, announcing the launch of a new Vatican news information portal.

The Holy Father, who today celebrates the 60th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood, yesterday tweeted the message: “Dear friends, I just launched News.va. Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI.”

The new portal, which went online today, aggregates for the first time information from the Vatican’s various print, online, radio and television media and follows forays from the Holy See into the world of Facebook and Youtube.

Archbishop Claudio Maria Celli, president of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, said: “Our desire is to ensure that the new portal should be an expression of our faithfulness and dedication to the Holy Father, for the 60th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood.”

Pope Benedict used an Apple iPad to put the new site online and, according to Thaddeus Jones, project co-ordinator and an official with the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the Holy Father was ‘interested and impressed’ with the latest technology.

“He was clearly in awe at the new technology,” Mr Jones said. “It’s a lighter moment but also an important one, it marks a new way of communicating.”

The new portal will contain news items relating to the words and activities of the Holy Father, declarations issued by the various dicasteries of the Holy See, and information about important global events and situations affecting the particular Churches.
Archbishop Celli explained that for the first few months the portal would only be available in two languages: Italian and English.

“After the summer the website will be restyled and at least one new language added, perhaps Spanish,” he said. “Subsequently it will also become available in French and Portuguese.”

All the latest Vatican news can be found by visiting the website: http://www.news.va/en