The Catholic Church is getting wired. And as a practicing Catholic (in my youth), it sounds kind of strange.
The Pope and Vatican now have a YouTube page, and they have recently debuted a Facebook page as well. Symbolically, I am sure it is a continuation of reaching out to young Catholics, which began in earnest with Pope John Paul II's World Youth Day.
Though not actively participating right now, I still find myself a staunch traditionalist. The church has retained the same prayers, and still uses some of the old hymns. An institution that is thousands of years old, modernizing in the way, doesn't feel right for some reason.
I know the church has had image problems with its priests. It also has had great difficulty in encouraging the youth to commit to the priesthood. Opportunities for Catholic education are fewer & further between (my old high school, Catholic-based, closed its doors years ago, and many old elementary schools are now leased by the churches in this area to individual, independent academies). So one would think an extreme positive dose of good PR is the best solution.
Why it doesn't seem right to me, I can't explain. You run risks on YouTube. Every member is entitled to their say, yet you run the risk of spammers, or even legitimate people, posting lewd comments that cloud the religion. I shudder to think of some of the comments already on the YouTube page. For the sake of the traditionalists and those very close to their religion, I hope the Vatican has eliminated (or is closely watching) any commentary.
And Facebook... Other than Twitter, what better and more modern way to communicate? Again, however, those run the same risks. What if a spammer decides to hit the site and it becomes news? The church doesn't need any more hurtful stories in the press.
Plus, it's odd in another way. Senator Carl Levin, up in his 70s now, admits he doesn't follow the Facebook or Twitter trends. It's hard for me to imagine the Pope, who is 82, understanding this technology and how to reach others with it. Not to say it can't be done, and it would be great if the Pope had this understanding. But something about it doesn't mix, to me.
Now excuse me as I recover from the bolt of lightning that's undoubtedly about to hit me.
