One of the Vatican's most senior cardinals has become an internet sensation after using YouTube, the internet video-sharing website, as a pulpit during Lent.Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, 73, the charismatic Archbishop of Milan, responded on film to a set of questions that were emailed to his diocese.
He intends to post a new video every Friday until Easter.
Mgr Tettamanzi prefaces his question and answer session with a catechesis for Lent.
The success of the first video, which was downloaded more than 16,000 times in a few days, has surprised the Church.
More than 12,000 people a day are emailing questions for the cardinal to answer.
In the last video, Mgr Tettamanzi preached about the meaning of baptism.He is one of the most liberal figures at the top of the Catholic Church, and is possibly the leading Italian candidate to become the next pope.
The diocese of Milan said that YouTube was a useful tool in helping it spread the Easter message.
"The cardinal's attitude is always one of dialogue," said a spokesman.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce