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Michael J. O’LoughlinDecember 03, 2012

Pope Benedict XVI joined Twitter today, choosing the handle @Pontifex and amassing hundreds of thousands of followers in just a iPope few hours, all without composing a single tweet (the inaugural tweet will be published next Wednesday). The New York Times reports:

Benedict’s posts will go out in Arabic, English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese and Spanish. Other languages are expected to be added in the future. The messages will mostly feature the contents of the pope’s speeches at his weekly general audience and Sunday blessings, as well as homilies on major holidays and reaction to major world events, like natural disasters.

Aides will write the texts of Benedict’s posts, but the pope himself will “engage and approve” the content. The pope will post messages however often he feels like it.

Meanwhile, Marketwatch offers a slideshow of “8 great moments in pope technology”, including Pope Leo XVIII on film in 1896, Pope John XXIII on live television in 1961, and Pope Benedict XVI calling the space station just last year.

Of course, if you're on Twitter, make sure you're following @americamag.

Comments are automatically closed two weeks after an article's initial publication. See our comments policy for more.
Craig McKee
12 years 5 months ago
I guess @ServumServorumDei was already taken.....
Sandi Sinor
12 years 5 months ago
One blessing - it enforces brevity on someone who clearly needs a good editor.

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