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    The Pope Takes to Twitter to Save Lent

    Pope Benedict XVI is bringing a segment of his daily papal message to Twitter, beginning Ash Wednesday, Feb. 22, according to a Vatican Radio blog post.

    The reason? In its post, the Vatican says that while some Catholics view Lent as a time to volunteer, give something up or study the Bible, others have abandoned the season:

    [More from Mashable: Will You Be Twitter’s 500 Millionth User? [UPDATED]]

    "In our increasingly secular societies, many young people no longer keep the Lenten season in any special way – that’s why the Pontifical Council for Social Communications has come up with a new idea to focus hearts and minds on the challenges contained in Pope Benedict’s Lenten message for 2012.

    'Starting on Ash Wednesday, themes from that papal message will be posted on Twitter each day during Lent and over the coming months other papal speeches and documents are likely to be tweeted in a similar way, hoping to attract the media-savvy generation and entice them to find out more.'"

    [More from Mashable: ‘Community’ Returns to NBC on March 15, Twitter Celebrates]

    In other words, the Pope is hoping the Vatican's Twitter presence can attract those who are not currently engaged with religion.

    SEE ALSO: The Pope Sends His First Tweet, From an iPad

    Msgr. Paul Tighe, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, says Twitter is the ideal medium for religious messages because “many of the key Gospel ideas are readily rendered in 140 characters.”

    The Pope's relationship with social media has been mixed. The Vatican has launched a YouTube Channel, iPhone app and web portal during Benedict XVI's papacy.

    While he is on Twitter, and recently lit a Christmas tree using an Android tablet, the Pope also issued a statement asking social media to quieten down, in favor of listening.

    Do you think social media is an appropriate forum for religion? Do you follow any religious figures or use any religious apps? Let us know in the comments.

    Photo courtesy of Flickr, catholicism

    This story originally published on Mashable here.

     

    58 comments

    • just listen  •  3 mths ago
      i give credit it to the church for trying to stay relevant as an age-old institution in a rapidly changing world.
    • GummiB  •  Ontario, California  •  3 mths ago
      How did Lent survive all those years befor Twitter?
      • joyce 3 mths ago
        I think people gave up meat and ate fish or something like that. it didn't make a lot of sense.
      • Richard 3 mths ago
        Well, before Twitter, most Catholics gave up Twitter; that was easy.
      • Alexander Ruiz 3 mths ago
        Lent survived all this years because it's backed up by the Holy Spirit.
    • Dawn  •  Austin, Texas  •  3 mths ago
      It's sad to read these comments full of nonsense. Just because one is religios does not make them a "religious nut." While there have been scandals associated with the Catholic church, the same is true for nearly every group of people everywhere. Let he who is without sin cast the first stone. What I choose to do in my life is my own business just as what you choose to do in your life is your business. As long I as I do not directly interfere with you, we should live a life of tolerance and peace.
      • Tom 3 mths ago
        Sorry, the Catholic Church does not get a free pass for murdering many millions of First Nations peoples, theft of two continents, witch burnings or the Spanish Inquisition. And don't forget future "saint" pope John-Paul_George-Ringo was a member of Hitler Youth and sold poison gas to the Nazi death camps as a young man. Sweet Jesus !
      • Joshua Ray 3 mths ago
        Not every group of people everywhere pretends to be the One True Church and the voice of God. That's why they are held to a higher standard. Their priests pretend to be perfect and thus can't confess their own sins.
      • Felix 3 mths ago
        Tom, you once again prove that ignorance breeds bigotry. Thank you!
        Joshua, priests confess their sins regularly and do not claim to be perfect. Look it up for yourself. Peace.
    • April  •  Livonia, Michigan  •  3 mths ago
      Forgive them Father. They know not what they do.
      • desmond 3 mths ago
        Forgive them Father - they know EXACTLY what they've done.
    • catcher  •  Chicago, Illinois  •  3 mths ago
      As far as a religious leader that I follow: Without a doubt the pope. I became Catholic by choice in 1995 and I took the chatechism from cover to cover. I may not agree with everything but I still support it. We all fell in love with Blessed John Paul the Great.
      • Shark 3 mths ago
        What a SAP. I have a bridge in Brooklyn I'd like to sell you.
      • vrg 3 mths ago
        Blessed John Paul the ingrate, he had a scandal happen before his eyes and never addressed it.
      • ANDROLOMA 3 mths ago
        Which god gets worshiped?
    • Tom  •  Jackson, New Jersey  •  3 mths ago
      Welcome to the church of vegetables. Lettuce pray
      • ANDROLOMA 3 mths ago
        Carrot on my wayward son. There'll be peas when you are done.
    • PatrickB  •  3 mths ago
      Tomorrow the pope will learn to google. Do we need to know that, too? Enough Catholic propaganda. Nothing from the Vatican is of any value whatsoever.
    • wesc  •  Los Angeles, California  •  3 mths ago
      pope = retarded.. as usual trying to push religion with stupid ideals. theres a reason society is moving away from church and religion. because its so corrupt and based of such stupid ideas. Its a good thing. More and more people are finally realizing that religion has no proof and makes no logical sense
    • Hawk  •  3 mths ago
      Funny how they never mention that the Roman Empire only fell after it converted to Christianity.
    • Diogenes the Dawg  •  3 mths ago
      You have to know that Catholic theology/ideology has reached a state of intellectual and moral bankruptcy when the pope has to twitter the remnants of his followers to adhere to a major Church observance. Catholicism is sputtering out like a flickering candle in the wind.
    • Ralph  •  3 mths ago
      The Pope should of asked me. He can have it cheap. My dryer filter is full of the stuff.
    • M  •  3 mths ago
      Who cares
    • gift gbc  •  Lagos, Nigeria  •  3 mths ago
      God forgive children of sadist,for they are living in hatred,and nothing good comes out of their mouth.it's either they are lashing pope or their president, Even their parents are not safe.products of endtime,take gd massage & forget who gives it
    • Hannah  •  3 mths ago
      I went to two different Catholic schools for seven years total and found that I can not bring myself to be a member of a Church which teaches that sex is shameful and that is anti-feminist and homophobic. I for one am a devout Wiccan, and do not care to be told that what I believe in is wrong, because let's get something straight here: there is no such thing as "the one true religion". Everyone's entitled to have their own views.
    • Ted  •  3 mths ago
      Religion is dead.
    • David  •  Sunnyvale, California  •  3 mths ago
      Well if the Pope want's to save Lent I have abag full near my dryer, so someone have him get at me!
    • Pathfinder 47  •  3 mths ago
      Lent is an old ritual that was observed before the Advent of Jesus Christ. After Christ the ritual need not be observed, Christs doctrine did away with it. Also his death.
    • RAM  •  3 mths ago
      A rumor was going around the Pope was dead....after the Grammy's show. Ah shucks!
    • Wildly Amused  •  3 mths ago
      He told us to give up Twitter for Lent, and this story shows how he is leading by example. Either that or yahoo's aggregate filter has given up aggregating for Lent.
    • in favor of sanity  •  3 mths ago
      If it is truly god's church then the pope shouldn't have to be working so hard
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