30 June,2011 07:37 AM IST | | Agencies
Pope Benedict, who at 84 still handwrites his speeches rather than use a computer, used an iPad to publish his first post on Twitter.
The pontiff tapped in English on the tablet device: "Dear Friends, I just launched News.va. Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI."
Pope Benedict XVI uses a tablet in his private office at the Vatican to launch the new website. Pope Benedict XVI wrote a message on Twitteru00a0 praising Jesus
Within three hours, the Pope had more than 15,000 followers.
It is decorated with the Vatican colours white and yellow and brings together information from the Vatican's radio, television and print outlets as well as news from the Fides missionary news agency about the developing world.
Bruno Bartoloni, a Vatican expert said the Church's embrace of social media was also a way to bypass traditional and more critical media to deliver information directly.
It is not the first time that the Pope has reached out to cyberspace.
He is a user of YouTube, MySpace and Facebook in an effort by the Roman Catholic Church to lure disenchanted youth into the church's fold.
u00a0
