Pope: Social networks can spread faith

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VATICAN CITY, Jan. 24 (UPI) -- Pope Benedict XIV says Catholics to go forth on social networks and spread the church's messages of faith online.

The pope, who now has his own Twitter account, is calling on Catholics to avail themselves of social-networking sites such as Facebook, Tumblr and Pinterest to spread their faith to non-believers, CNET reported Thursday.

"The challenge facing social networks is how to be truly inclusive: thus they will benefit from the full participation of believers who desire to share the message of Jesus and the values of human dignity which his teaching promotes," the pope said in a message delivered on World Communication Day.

Online social networking presented the opportunity for public discussion and debate that "can reinforce the bonds of unity between individuals and effectively promote the harmony of the human family," the pontiff said.

"Believers are increasingly aware that, unless the Good News is made known also in the digital world, it may be absent in the experience of many people for whom this existential space is important."

Pope Benedict XIV joined Twitter Dec. 3 and now counts 1.4 million followers.