Pope Says Priests Can Give Soul to the Web

(MYFOX NATIONAL) – A year after the Vatican opened its own channel on YouTube , Pope Benedict XVI urged priests to make ample use of the Internet in a message delivered for the 44th World Communications Day, which will be observed on May 16.

The Pope's latest message encourages priests to reach out to the world online, using all the technologies at their disposal. He calls cyberspace a "digital continent" with its own customs and culture.

The Church, says Benedict, must adapt to this culture in order to reach the many. He stresses the need for the Church to have a strong presence online, and for sensitivity toward people of other faiths and diverse cultures.

While he extols the benefits of Internet technology in facilitating communication, the Pope emphasizes heart, soul, and friendship over technological savvy. The Internet, he says, is a great tool for facilitating cooperation by people in different locations, but should never replace real world interactions.

"Priests present in the world of digital communications should be less notable for their media savvy than for their priestly heart," says the message, which "will give a 'soul' to the fabric of communications that makes up the 'Web'.

World Communications Day , also called World Social Communications Day, was established by the Second Vatican Council. Observed on the Sunday before Pentecost in most countries (Pentecost is the fifth Sunday after Easter), World Communications Day focuses on the media as a means for the Catholic Church to reach out to the wider world.

The Pope typically releases his World Communications Day message in in conjunction with the Memorial of St. Francis de Sales, on January 24.

In previous World Communications Day messages, Benedict XVI has encouraged the use of the latest technology as a means of outreach. In January 2009, the Vatican, which has had its own Web site since 1995, opened an account on YouTube. Masses and speeches delivered by the Pope on special occasions are now broadcast there.