A Facebook page is to be launched in tribute to Pope John Paul II, the Vatican has confirmed.
Web users will be able to watch video highlights of the late Pope’s 27-years papacy on the dedicated page, which will be used to promote his beatification, the last step before sainthood, on May 1.
Facebook users will not be able to add the Pope, who died in 2005, as a “friend”, but will instead be able to “follow” the page to receive regular updates.
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More than 30 million people in the UK alone are on Facebook – half the population – and it is expected the page dedicated to the former pontiff will continue to be updated well beyond the beatification ceremony.
A similar page was set up for Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the UK in September of last year. It continues to remain active, is updated almost daily, and has as many as 15,000 regular followers.
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Monsignor Paul Tighe, from the Vatican’s social communications office, said: "What we found is that Facebook doesn't just share information, it creates community. People begin talking to each other and sharing ideas."
The use of the social networking website is the latest move by the Vatican to embrace the social media revolution.
At Easter the Vatican will launch a new web portal, containing information specifically-designed to be tweeted, posted or blogged. It will have direct links to the Vatican’s radio and TV stations and newspaper.
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On Good Friday Pope Benedict will pre-record video responses to questions which were posed by followers online, which are set to be uploaded to YouTube.
Monsignor Tighe said: "A lot of our communications in the past was: I have a message. I broadcast it. TV takes it, radio takes it, newspaper takes it, and people passively receive it. With the internet you have this possibility of getting people's comments, getting their responses, and also of hearing their questions."