The latest institution to attempt to follow the Obama social media template is the Catholic Church. Pope Benedict XVI may not be the most charismatic communicator, but his YouTube broadcasts, translated into 27 languages, are an interesting attempt to connect him with what he describes as the global digital generation, even if his message is more a case of ‘No you can’t’ rather than ‘Yes you can’.
What is even more refreshing are the views expressed by the man responsible for managing the Pope’s PR, Father Federico Lombardi. He has been accused of being out of touch with modern communications techniques, but in a recent speech in London to mark the Church’s world day of communications, he sounded like a model crowd surfer: “I do think however, in a world such as ours, we would be deluding ourselves if we thought that communication can always be controlled, or that it can always be conducted smoothly and as a matter of course.” He then went on to say that “It is a mistake to think we ought to avoid debate”, which is a pretty bold statement coming from an institution wedded historically to doctrinal certainty.
For further information on the cyber-Pope, including his new Facebook app, check out http://www.pope2you.net/.
