Dr Rowan Williams described himself as “dim” when it comes to technology but
said he was glad that not all clergy are as reluctant to embrace social
media as he is.
He said that despite the “poisonous” side to some of what can be found on it,
social media can be a force for good in the world.
Dr Williams, who does not own a mobile phone, has made no secret of his bafflement at the world of social media which has sprung up during his time as Archbishop.
Earlier this year when his Oxford debate with Prof Richard Dawkins was one of the biggest topics of discussion on Twitter worldwide, Dr Williams’s aides had to explain to him what it meant that he was “trending”.
By contrast the Pope, who only joined Twitter as @pontifex this month, already has two million followers.
Dr Williams successor as Archbishop, the Bishop of Durham Justin Welby, is
also a regular on Twitter.
Dr Williams, who is due to step down as Archbishop later this month was speaking during his final appearance on BBC Radio 2’s Pause For Thought before his departure.
He told his audience: “Everyone seems to be amazed that the Pope is tweeting – and there was a news story the other day about bishops in England using Twitter for their Christmas messages. The surprise reminds me of the way people pretend to be astonished when clergy admit to having heard the occasional rude word – never mind clergy actually using them – or having watched a soap. It’s taken for granted that we’re far too unworldly for all this. Even speaking as someone who struggles with any kind of technology, I don’t think it should be assumed that all my fellow clergy are or ought to be as dim as I am in this area.”
Speaking about social networking, he added: “OK, we all know it can be poisonous and destructive at times. But there’s another side to it.”
He highlighted the case of Sam Johnson, a student whom he recently met in New Zealand who used Twitter to mobilise people to help with the clear-up and rescue work following the Christchurch earthquakes.
"Thousands of students from all the way across New Zealand turned up and spent weeks and months in Christchurch doing essential work and getting a community on its feet again," he said.
"When I visited Christchurch a few weeks ago, I met Sam and some of the others involved, and actually got to speak at a rock concert that had been laid on free of charge to celebrate all this achievement. Rock concerts and archbishops are at least as unlikely a combination as Twitter and the Pope, I realise. But what an occasion; a real witness to what small initiatives can turn into.”
He added: "Well, Christmas is God's small initiative: a single baby, whose destiny is to change the entire world."
Afterwards Dr Williams was asked by the presenter about his decade in office.
"Never a dull moment, as they say, and some fantastic foreign trips. But lots of burdens, lots of difficult decisions and fantastic people to meet all over the place," he said.
"I don't think anybody can expect really what it is like, the pressure, the surprises, the events that just come at you and things like the Jubilee and the Olympics this year, thinking of the good things," he added.
Dr Williams repeated that he was "deeply sad" about the failure of the women bishops legislation at the General Synod in November and said he was very conscious of all the people for whom it meant a "bit of their own future would be put off".
Asked about the possibility of reaching a new agreement on women bishops, he said: "It is difficult isn't it? The main thing is that people don't trust the system. They don't feel that the bishops will look after them if they disagree with this and so dig their heels in. That is understandable. But I think we have got to win some trust there."
Dr Williams, who is due to step down as Archbishop later this month was speaking during his final appearance on BBC Radio 2’s Pause For Thought before his departure.
He told his audience: “Everyone seems to be amazed that the Pope is tweeting – and there was a news story the other day about bishops in England using Twitter for their Christmas messages. The surprise reminds me of the way people pretend to be astonished when clergy admit to having heard the occasional rude word – never mind clergy actually using them – or having watched a soap. It’s taken for granted that we’re far too unworldly for all this. Even speaking as someone who struggles with any kind of technology, I don’t think it should be assumed that all my fellow clergy are or ought to be as dim as I am in this area.”
Speaking about social networking, he added: “OK, we all know it can be poisonous and destructive at times. But there’s another side to it.”
He highlighted the case of Sam Johnson, a student whom he recently met in New Zealand who used Twitter to mobilise people to help with the clear-up and rescue work following the Christchurch earthquakes.
"Thousands of students from all the way across New Zealand turned up and spent weeks and months in Christchurch doing essential work and getting a community on its feet again," he said.
"When I visited Christchurch a few weeks ago, I met Sam and some of the others involved, and actually got to speak at a rock concert that had been laid on free of charge to celebrate all this achievement. Rock concerts and archbishops are at least as unlikely a combination as Twitter and the Pope, I realise. But what an occasion; a real witness to what small initiatives can turn into.”
He added: "Well, Christmas is God's small initiative: a single baby, whose destiny is to change the entire world."
Afterwards Dr Williams was asked by the presenter about his decade in office.
"Never a dull moment, as they say, and some fantastic foreign trips. But lots of burdens, lots of difficult decisions and fantastic people to meet all over the place," he said.
"I don't think anybody can expect really what it is like, the pressure, the surprises, the events that just come at you and things like the Jubilee and the Olympics this year, thinking of the good things," he added.
Dr Williams repeated that he was "deeply sad" about the failure of the women bishops legislation at the General Synod in November and said he was very conscious of all the people for whom it meant a "bit of their own future would be put off".
Asked about the possibility of reaching a new agreement on women bishops, he said: "It is difficult isn't it? The main thing is that people don't trust the system. They don't feel that the bishops will look after them if they disagree with this and so dig their heels in. That is understandable. But I think we have got to win some trust there."