His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI (@pontifex) posted his first tweet Wednesday and has already gathered over 700,000 followers.
By MARILOU AGUIRRE-TUBURAN
Davao Today
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The online social networking and microblogging service Twitter has a new influential member adding to the list of biggest names from its 500 million active users (as of April 2012).
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI (@pontifex) posted his first tweet Wednesday and has already gathered over 700,000 followers.
“Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart,” the Pope’s tweet reads.
For Jesuit priest Joel Tabora, the Pope’s move is “terrific” and urged Twitter users to “follow” the Pope.
“The Pope is reaching out to the tech-savvy youth and yuppies. It is an attempt to dialogue with them through a medium they’re comfortable with,” Tabora, also the president of the Ateneo de Davao University, told davaotoday.com in a text message.
July Simara, a work-at-home mom from Cebu City told davaotoday.com she’s happy that the Pope is already on Twitter. “At least he’s now up to date and on the online world trying to know what’s hot and trending each day.”
Bishop Modesto Villasanta of the United Church of Christin the Philippines said “Kinahanglan man maabot ang pinakadaghan nga tawo o sakop sa R.C. (Roman Catholics). Kung kini nga medium ang paagi sa pag-abot kanila, why not?”
The Pope has a total of eight Twitter accounts in eight languages. (Marilou Aguirre-Tuburan/davaotoday.com)
