Pope Benedict XVI will text message thousands of young Catholics this July during World Youth Day (WYD) in Sydney, Australia. It is hoped this will help the pontiff communicate better with a younger audience. It is estimated that 225,000 young Catholics will attend the World Youth Day that starts on July 15 and continues for six days.
The Pope will send daily inspirational messages during the six day event. Digital prayer walls will be constructed at event sites and a Catholic social networking Web site will be made available to parishioners, so those with similar interests can meet each other.
“We wanted to make WYD08 a unique experience by using new ways to connect with today’s tech-savvy youth,” Bishop Anthony Fisher said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Australian telecommunications company Telstra will provide the electronic infrastructure necessary for the event, along with erecting the digital prayer walls at event sites. Telstra will connect 8,000 volunteers, 2,000 clergy, 3,000 media and 225,000 young Catholics to over 700 locations around Sydney.