The Vatican, seat of power for the Roman Catholic Church, is embracing the digital age for some 21st Century evangelism.
The Vatican is in talks with Google regarding the creation of its own YouTube channel which will show Papal addresses and Church events. The announcement, made by a Vatican spokesman, marks probably the biggest move in terms of media by the Vatican since the creation of its website way back in 1995.
It’s not hard to imagine that while not popular per se, the channel will generate high numbers of views, as the faithful and curious alike tune in. The channel will also expose the Vatican to the crucible of YouTube comments, renowned as being a haven of the idiotic and spiteful.
Amongst the inevitable bile however, will be genuine feedback with a level of immediacy that the Vatican is unaccustomed to. Whether this will affect the direction of the Catholic Church is unknown, although unlikely, but they might be in for some rude surprises, when addresses, such as Benedict XVI’s recent comments on gender roles, which angered many GLBT groups, quickly garner a negative response.
An official statement about the channel will be issued at a press conference on Friday, attended by Vatican officials and executives from Google.
Source: Reuters
