Twitter will soon be the home of 140-character messages from a higher authority.
Pope Benedict XVI, who has been tweeting occasionally on the Vatican's Twitter news feed since last year, will launch his own personal Twitter feed at noon Dec. 12.
Within hours after the announcement was made Monday, the pope had more than 100,000 followers, according to the New York Times.
While Twitter is known for its lightning-fast dissemination of information and opinions—some of which are instantly regretted—it's doubtful that will be the case with @pontifex, the pope's new Twitter handle, according to The Guardian.
The handle, which means bridge-builder in Latin, was chosen not only for its meaning but also because many other pope-related handles were taken, according to The Times.
Locally, the Archdiocese of Baltimore—the nation's oldest, established in 1789—tweets under the handle of @archbalt. The account has 2,035 followers as of Monday.
To acknowledge the pope's Twitter announcement, @archbalt tweeted on Monday: "Pope Benedict's new Twitter handle: @pontifex."
The long-awaited papal Twitter account will leave "little room for random ramblings by the pope, and will kick off with a Q&A session to show it truly is his voice," The Guardian reported.
The creation of the papal twitter account is the latest step in the Vatican's effort to embrace the digital world. The Vatican has a YouTube channel, a general Twitter account and a website, Pope2you, already set up, according to The Guardian.
While the Vatican hopes to especially draw young members of the Catholic faith, officials say that no one should expect to be followed or retweeted by the pope.
"He won't follow anyone for now," Greg Burke, a Vatican communications advisor, said at a news conference reported on by The Times. "He will be followed."
Monsignor Paul Tighe, the Vatican's secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communication, told The Guardian that Benedict will read and approve every tweet that goes out through the account.
The pontiff still writes in longhand and doesn't normally use a computer, according to a report on WHDH.com.
Beginning today, the pope app is available free through the Apple Store.
Coming as soon is the hate and vitriol of the religious bigots on twitter. Shameful: Pope Benedict XVI joins Twitter, vile hate starts before his first tweet http://twitchy.com/2012/12/03/shameful-pope-benedict-xvi-joins-twitter-vile-hate-starts-before-his-first-tweet/
Far more teachers arrested than priests. google this and see the hundreds of pages of news stories on teachers arrested for raping and molesting their students and it is going on daily! teachers arrested for molesting students
(I kid, I kid!)
"Berndt is going to keep getting his benefits – and he even kept his job back in 1993 when he was first charged with molestation. And he got a $40K payment so that he would retire. Since Berndt got arrested we have found out about a lot more molester teachers in L.A., where most of Perez’ donations come from. The teachers’ union has made it almost impossible for parents to find out about these behaviors. They cover up everything. Do you think Perez is going to stand up for parents’ rights when he is being supported by the same teachers’ union that covers up for molesters - and gets them lifetime benefits even when they get arrested?" http://ocpoliticsblog.com/julio-perez-endorsed-by-same-teachers-union-that-defends-molesters/ "The teachers’ union kills a Democratic bill to remove criminals from CA classrooms" "Unions in California spent a lot of money to assure sexual perverts get to stay in the classroom. SB 1530 by a Democrat would have made it easily to get child molesters out of the class (Why is this a problem? Unions defend the molesters against the safety of the children)" http://capoliticalnews.com/2012/07/17/the-teachers%E2%80%99-union-kills-a-democratic-bill-to-remove-criminals-from-ca-classrooms/ "Teachers Unions Go to Bat for Sexual Predators " http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390443437504577547313612049308.html
Frank said the teachers unions do not protect their child molesters like the Catholic church did. I posts proof they do and he removes his post! Curious.
Very curious indeed.