Facebook file March 12: Pope John Paul takes to the social media
The Vatican, long known for its ham-fisted public relations, is moving fast to change all that - and this new papal venture into social media is a sign that they really mean business.
The site will link to video highlights of the 27-year papacy of the Polish pope and is designed to promote his being made a saint on May 1. So great is the interest in the late pontiff, that it may well continue beyond that, according to Vatican officials .
The Vatican dipped into social media with a Facebook page promoting the present Pope Benedict's trip to Britain last September. It is still updated near-daily with up to 15,000 people checking in regularly.
Monsignor Paul Tighe, the No. 2 in the Vatican's social communications department told Associated Press, "What we found is that Facebook doesn't just share information, it creates community. People begin talking to each other and sharing ideas."
At Easter a new Vatican information web site will be launched in English and Italian with material from all the Vatican's information sources including Vatican Radio, Vatican Television, and the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano. It will have the Vatican take on events like the Japanese earthquake and the Libyan uprising. Its contents are designed to be tweeted, posted and blogged.
The Vatican's current website will remain with basic information about the Holy See and papal activities.