Use new communication Vatican says

Published on Saturday 23 January 2010 18:18

POPE Benedict XVI yesterday urged priests to blog, saying they must learn to use new forms of communication to spread the gospel message.

In his message for the Roman Catholic Church's World Day of Communications, the Pope, who is 82 and known not to love computers or the internet, acknowledged priests must make the most of the "rich menu of options" offered by new technology.

"Priests are thus challenged to proclaim the Gospel by employing the latest generation of audiovisual resources – images, videos, animated features, blogs, websites – which, alongside traditional means, can open up broad new vistas for dialogue, evangelisation and catechesis," he said. Priests, he added, had to respond to the challenge of "today's cultural shifts".

But he warned priests not to strive to become stars of new media. "Priests present in the world of digital communications should be less notable for their media savvy than their priestly heart," he said.