Pope gets tech savvy, sends out first tweet

Pope Benedict XVI, who at 84 still handwrites his speeches, has joined the twitter bandwagon. His latest tweet, done from no less than a high-end iPad said, "Dear Friends, I just..."

Pope Benedict XVI has tweeted for the first time, announcing the launch of a Vatican news information portal.

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Benedict's tweet yesterday read: "Dear Friends, I just launched News.va Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI".

The portal www.news.va for the first time aggregates information from the Vatican's various print, online, radio and television media.

It's the latest effort by the Vatican to bring its evangelizing message to a greater, internet-savvy audience and follows forays into Facebook, Twitter and Benedict put the site online himself by tapping an iPad, said Thaddeus Jones, project coordinator and an official with the Pontifical Council for Social Communications. Moments later the pope sent the tweet.

The 84-year-old pontiff was then shown the portal and its features in greater detail. Jones described him as "interested and impressed," and "clearly enjoying it."

"He was clearly in awe at the new technology," said Jones.

"It's a lighter moment but also an important one, it marks a new way of communicating."

He tweeted from @Vatican - news.