While many observers of the Catholic church speculated that Pope Benedict XVI’s time as the head of the church would be nowhere as revolutionary as that of his predecessor, The Holy See is making his own mark on the future of the church. Benedict has asked priests and ministers to employ new technologies to spread the church’s message even further than before.

The church’s “World Day for Social Communications” will take place on May 16, and according to the Vatican the topic will be “The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word.” Benedict believes that in order to keep the church relevant — especially among youth — digital mediums must be used effectively.

“Priests stand at the threshold of a new era: as new technologies create deeper forms of relationship across greater distances, they are called to respond pastorally by putting the media ever more effectively at the service of the Word,” he wrote in a message posted to the Vatican website.

Of course, this would not replace the traditional service, but for those who may not be able to attend on a regular basis employing digital mediums will help the Church maintain a greater connection with its parishioners.

This is not the first time Benedict has discussed the potential for the Internet when it comes to the Catholic church: in last year’s message, he called on his priests and followers to begin using the Internet to spread the word of the church, however at the same time value the importance of real-life social interaction.

 
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