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In a message delivered on Sunday, Pope John Paul II gave his blessing to the Internet, claiming it could be used as "a new forum for proclaiming the Gospel."
In his weekly address from St. Peter's Square, the 81-year-old leader of the Catholic Church told listeners that the Internet would be "a big new theme for this year," and that "recent progress in communications and information have presented the church with unheard-of possibilities for evangelism."
"We have to become part of this modern and ever more finely woven web of communication with realism and confidence, convinced that, if it is used competently and with due responsibility, it can offer a sound opportunity for the dissemination of the word of the Lord."
These latest comments from the pontiff sit in contrast with comments he has made in the past. In January the pope warned that Internet could be dangerous, suggesting that the unregulated communications tool could demean human dignity. "Despite its enormous potential for good, some of the degrading and damaging ways in which the Internet can be used are already obvious to all, and public authorities surely have a responsibility to guarantee that this marvellous instrument serves the common good and does not become a source of harm," the pope said on 22 January.
Earlier, in November 2001, the pope used e-mail to apologise to the victims of sexual attacks by the clergy.
Still, John Paul II, one of the most influential popes of the twentieth century, has often been credited as being one of the most forward-looking leaders of the Catholic Church in terms of technology. In the past he has embraced television, radio, CDs and other modern technologies as tools to convey his message and the message of the Roman Catholic Church.
The Vatican's latest blessing for the Internet comes after the Vatican's Web site was nominated for a Webby Award, one of the top awards in the industry. The Webby Awards will be presented on 18 June 2002 at the California Palace of The Legion of Honor in San Francisco.
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