Not content with revealing his previously secret love for Tupac and Biggie Smalls, the Pope has provided an official satement on social media and he initially has favourable things to say.
this dynamic has contributed to a new appreciation of communication itself, which is seen first of all as dialogue, exchange, solidarity and the creation of positive relations.
The problem, however, is that
this is contrasted with the limits typical of digital communication: the one-sidedness of the interaction, the tendency to communicate only some parts of one’s interior world, the risk of constructing a false image of oneself, which can become a form of self-indulgence.
Rob Beschizza Pope blesses social networks: “Who is my neighbour in this new world?”, Boing Boing (24/01/11)
The Canadian Press either missed the story or decided to take the Catholics to task for this reticence: “the church just might shake its centuries-old reputation for not always being on the cutting edge of communications.”
Canadian Press ‘Tweets from the Catholic church: religion’s top official in Canada takes to Twitter – Big Hollywood‘, Canadian Press (23/02/11)
These guys could all take some advice on social networks, and I’m not talking about Paul this time. Archaeologists have discovered a 1st century, vellum-based social network called ThyFace, and Jesus’ archived profile has been published for the first time.