Pope's Twitter Account Leaving With Him

Vatican Radio says @Pontifex clearly belongs to Benedict
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted Feb 22, 2013 2:25 PM CST
Pope's Twitter Account Leaving With Him
Pope Benedict XVI pushes a button on a tablet at the Vatican, Dec. 12, 2012.   (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)

If you'd been looking forward to keeping up with ex-Pope Benedict's exploits as a Vatican lay-about/shadow pope on his @Pontifex Twitter feed, or maybe hoping he'd hand the handle off to his successor, we've got some bad news. The much-hyped account, which has drawn 2 million followers in just two and a half months, will be going away when Benedict hangs up his pope hat on February 28, Vatican Radio revealed today, according to CNN.

"It seems unimaginable that one could continue to use a communication tool so popular and powerful during the 'sede vacante' period," the station said. "From choice, the Pontifex profile was not personalized, but it clearly refers to the person of the pope." Benedict will likely send one last Tweet on February 27, the same day he gives his final general audience, or else a day later, "before retiring into silence." (More Pope Benedict XVI stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X