Pope Benedict XVI, or more appropriately, the Vatican as a whole, have created a YouTube account.

The Assosciated Press is reporting that the Vatican hopes to utilize the growing medium of online media to unite the Pope's audience. Such a move was not made without criticism however, as the Pope warned that he "isn't embracing virtual communication without some reservation."

The Pope, in a broadcasted speech stated: "So that the Church and its message continue to be present in the great central communications as defined by Pope John Paul II and so that it's not a stranger to those spaces where numerous young people search for answers and meanings in their lives, you must find new ways to spread voices and images of hope in the ever evolving communications system that surrounds our planet"

Previously, the Vatican had warned of the issues of social networking, touting the possibility of obsessiveness.

The Pope's move to virtualize both himself and his messages comes after similar moves from President Obama and the Queen of England.

The expansion into the digital foray may not stop here as the Vatican has mentioned a similar expedition into the realm of Facebook.

Posted: Jan 27, 2009 5:39 pm