Official Facebook, Youtube pages for John Paul II Beatification

Pope John Paul II

Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Centre (CTV) have made a range of documentary materials and other information about Pope John Paul II available on Facebook and Youtube, ahead of his Beatification on 1 May.

A Vatican statement says: "Unlike other initiatives already present on the Internet in various forms, initiatives by private individuals not associated with the Holy See, this carries the joint signatures of Vatican Radio and of the Vatican Television Centre, it has been agreed with the Pontifical Council for Social Communications and is, of course, open to all users of Facebook.

"The general objective is to accompany the course of the beatification using the instruments technology makes available, making full use of the resources at our disposal and, at least in part, of the vast documentary archives held by Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Centre".

The Youtube page is available at: www.youtube.com/giovannipaoloii and includes video clips on the pontificate year by year, as well as video clips with the Pope's voice in various languages and situations (on trips and in the Vatican).

The Facebook concerning John Paul II is at: www.facebook.com/vatican.johnpaul2