I have finally done it. Many of you know I've been holding out for many years. But my friend, the cleric previously known as Cardinal Ratzinger (we friends know him affectionately as just 'Ratz'), has invited me to Facebook.
And when Pope Benedict XVI calls, you answer.
My biggest question (on which he hasn't gotten back to me yet) is this: Is it ok for a pastor to 'unfriend' somone? Here's an excerpt from the public proclamation that followed his and my personal correspondence:
REUTERS/Max Rossi
Wracked with Catholic guilt every time you access Facebook? Worry no longer -- the Pope approves. In a message entitled "Truth, Proclamation and Authenticity of Life in the Digital Age," Pope Benedict XVI gave social networking his blessing, but warned that it cannot replace real human contact. The proclamation, created for the Catholic Church's World Day of Communications, noted, "I would like then to invite Christians, confidently and with an informed and responsible creativity, to join the network of relationships which the digital era has made possible."
Read more: http://newsfeed.time.com/2011/01/24/faithful-facebook-pope-benedict-blesses-social-networking/#ixzz1DZbGlaj2
