Pope

As is the tradition on the Feast of St. Francis de Sales, patron of journalists, the Holy Father has released his message for the upcoming 45th World Communications Day. Titled "Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age", Pope Benedict XVI's message this year is encouraging the correctly ordered use of the online social media, to cultivate genuine human relationships in which information and ideas leading us to truth may be widely shared.

Please join us in reflecting on the great blessing of Pope Benedict XVI, and thanking God for his papacy. To read Pope Benedict XVI's encyclicals and more, click on this link to the Holy Father.  For a suscinct recap Pope Benedict's first five years, check out this Rome Reports video.

Today I was excited to read about a new iPhone application being launched by the Vatican. My excitement was quickly dampened as I found yet another "journalist" looking for an excuse to tear into the Church anew. The Article I'm referring to,The Vatican’s iPhone app: ‘Daily Sermonettes’, was posted on the The Globe and Mail website. Though the headline indicates a straightforward review of the new app, the article is anything but that. Needless to say, I was disappointed. But, so I don't leave you similarly disappointed, here's a brief on the application from Wordnet Productions:

Well, it was. Then, it wasn't. Now, it is. Confused? Join the crowd. When Edward Pentin of the National Catholic Register came out on January 22 with his Vatican Now on Twitter blog post, the news was greeted with congratulatory comments. To those of us in the media realm, it made sense that the Vatican would launch this new communications initiative just as the Pope was issuing his 44th Annual World Communication Day Message in which he encourages priests to use the social media tools on the web. Hooray, right?

Pope Benedict XVI urges priests to employ new digital communications media in exercising their pastoral ministry. Read the Pope's 44th World Communications Day Message