{"id":2150,"date":"2013-01-30T11:03:00","date_gmt":"2013-01-30T11:03:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.catholicnewsagency.com\/news\/author-cheers-popes-flurry-of-social-media-outreach\/"},"modified":"2013-01-30T11:03:00","modified_gmt":"2013-01-30T11:03:00","slug":"author-cheers-popes-flurry-of-social-media-outreach","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2013\/01\/author-cheers-popes-flurry-of-social-media-outreach\/","title":{"rendered":"Author cheers Pope’s ‘flurry’ of social media outreach"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

Orlando, Fla., Jan 30, 2013 \/ 04:03 am (CNA<\/a>).- A Catholic author and blogger says Pope Benedict's use of social networking has given the Church an example of how to better evangelize through the media.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI\u2019d say the most recent efforts are several steps in the right direction,\u201d Brandon Vogt told CNA Jan. 29 \u2013 something he and other \u201ctech-savvy Catholics\u201d have been supportive of for some time.<\/p>\n

\tAlthough Pope Benedict XVI and his predecessor Pope John Paul II often stressed the importance of using new forms of media to evangelize, especially on the Internet, little action was taken to put such tools to use on the Vatican\u2019s part.<\/p>\n

\tHowever, events such as the creation of Pope Benedict\u2019s Twitter account and the launch of a new iPhone application show a pointed effort on the Vatican\u2019s part to expand its social media outreach.<\/p>\n

\tJust within the last year, Vogt said, the Pope\u2019s \u201cflurry of digital activity has been very surprising and encouraging.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tOne day before Pope Benedict announced his World Communications Day message, the Vatican launched \u201cThe Pope App,\u201d a tool for the iPhone and iPad that will give users the ability to stream papal events, view several live papal webcams, read news concerning the Pope\u2019s happenings at the Vatican.<\/p>\n

\tThis development, as well as the Pope\u2019s theme of \u201cSocial Networks: portals of truth and faith; new spaces for evangelization\u201d for the upcoming World Communications Day in May, show the Vatican is \u201cwalking the walk\u201d Vogt said.<\/p>\n

\tHe explained that the significance of Pope\u2019s newest social media endeavors is not \u201cwhat those apps in themselves will accomplish\u201d \u2013 which is sure to be \u201cefficacious\u201d \u2013 but rather, \u201cthat all of his work inspires other Catholics to take up the social media mantle and use these tools themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tHe added that witnessing \u201can 86 year-old pontiff using an iPad\u201d does not leave \u201cmuch of an excuse\u201d to younger Catholics who have yet to utilize these tools in a similar way.<\/p>\n

\tIn his World Communications Day message, the Pope noted that rather than being a \u201cparallel or purely virtual world,\u201d the \u201cdigital environment\u201d is \u201ca part of the daily environment of many people, especially the young.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tVogt said this message reflects a recognition of social media as a way to reach out like never before to Catholics and non-Catholics alike.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cI think the Pope is recognizing that and he\u2019s helping the Church to slowly grasp that we now have the means \u2013 the most powerful means that we\u2019ve ever had \u2013 to reach those groups we\u2019re most desperately trying to reach.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tIn their online interactions, the Pope encouraged the faithful to \u201cshow their authenticity by sharing the profound source of their hope and joy,\u201d which the Pope said is, \u201cfaith in the merciful and loving God revealed in Christ Jesus.\u201d<\/p>\n

\tChristians can show this through patient and respectful dialogue with other online users, as well as \u201cin the explicit expression of their faith,\u201d the Pope noted.<\/p>\n

\t\u201cSocial networks, as well as being a means of evangelization, can also be a factor in human development,\u201d Pope Benedict said.<\/p>\n

\tVogt said he sees Pope\u2019s Benedict\u2019s message for World Communications Day as \u201cthe climax\u201d of \u201cnot just of this whole social media crescendo\u201d but also of the Year of Faith and \u201cthe burgeoning new evangelization movement that surrounds us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n<\/a>\n<\/div>\n

<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Orlando, Fla., Jan 30, 2013 \/ 04:03 am (CNA).- A Catholic author and blogger says Pope Benedict's use of social networking has given the Church an example of how to better evangelize through the media.<\/p>\n

\t“I’d say the most recent effort…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1031,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","category-us"],"yoast_head":"\nAuthor cheers Pope's 'flurry' of social media outreach<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Orlando, Fla., Jan 30, 2013 \/ 04:03 am (CNA).- A Catholic author and blogger says Pope Benedict's use of social networking has given the Church an example of how to better evangelize through the media. “I’d say the most recent effort...\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/catholicnews\/2013\/01\/author-cheers-popes-flurry-of-social-media-outreach\/\" 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