Blogging, Again

The Voice of Russia web site, has an article about Patriarch Kirill telling his priests to blog.  Pope Benedict has harped on this theme also.  I guess there must be something to it, huh?  The Patriarch urges social networking and blogging as good vehicles to get their message across.

"Many priests and church hierarchs have their own blogs in the global network," he says. "It helps people seeking their paths in life. Jesus Christ taught His apostles to attract people by the word. High technology and the Internet should serve the same purpose."    

"The Church wants to make itself understood to most readers," he says. "This does not mean that church bloggers should use a primitive or false language. Unlike former Internet resources, social networks and blogs make it possible to talk and listen. Communication is crucial. A contemporary user wants two-way communication, so that they could ask questions and receive the answers, and could enter discussions with the others."  

    

The Vatican has been making an effective use of the Internet for years. According to expert Alexander Kuzin, expanding influence is common in church activity.   

"In January 2009 Pope Benedict XVI opened a blog at YouTube with short videos about what’s new in the Vatican. In winter the same year the pontiff struck a deal with the Google search engine. As a result, Google got access to the Holy See’s photos and texts. Vatican press secretary, Father Federico Lombardi, has described the deal as a new chapter in the history of the Vatican."

In the opinion of Alexander Kuzin, the Russian Orthodox Church will benefit a lot from borrowing this good practice from the Vatican.

From my reading of St. Dominic, I know this famous preacher would agree.  He would definitely be in the forefront of communication.  You've got to keep up with the times, to get your message across.