Pope uses technology
Pope Benedict XVI to use SMS text message to reach youth during World Youth Day
I have seen reference to this story a great deal over the last couple of days and it makes me wonder about a couple of things. Number one why is it a story in the first place.
One thing to remember is that he did the same thing at World Youth Day in Germany almost three years ago. This article references the use then. So it kind of annoys me that the stories don't even reference the fact that he did the same thing already at the last World Youth Day. Back fin 2002 the Vatican used cell phone SMS to send out daily messages based on papal speeches and daily homilies and entered in with distribution deals with Verizon Wireless and other carriers.
The other thing that annoys me about the story is that there is always the air of "Pope of anti-science Catholics Church actually uses technology at times." That the story is suppose to be kind of funny using the humor of the disconnect. Pope + technology = funny. Oh well, I guess we will just continue to get stories like this every time the pope uses some form of new technology.
Known as 
I hear the noon day Angelus is going to look like this:
D A of L sd 2 M:
& she cceved of d HS.
HM . . .
Luk, I d hmade of d Ld
Do 2 me as U say.
HM . . .
&D Wrd mde flsh
@ lived w/ us.
HM . . .
Pry 4 us, O Mom of Gd
Dat we B wrthy of d promises of X.
LuP:
Gve us Ur grc O Ld N our hert. U show us Ur Son N d Ncar8ion. Thru His Pasion lead us 2 d glry ov d Rez., thru X our Ld.
Amen.
I have a very different take away from the story. I find it a positive response to the good work of the Church.
Also, while SMS at WYD is nothing new, the scale of how technology will be used at WYD 2008 is much greater. In addition to sms will be virtual prayer walls and a social networking web site like MySpace. That's terrific! Let's publicize it. Makes the Church seem up-to-date and in-touch. Also, it is wise to embrace a person's medium of choice if we want to reach them. We've done it for years, print, TV, radio, now digital technology. I hope and pray that we continue to be creative and dedicated in our efforts to evangelize. Only good will come from doing so.