Pope Benedict XVI is known as a source of inspiration for the world’s 1.5 billion Catholics, and since encouraging the Vatican to use new technologies to facilitate the institution’s outreach, he is fast becoming a source of technological inspiration as well.
The center of the world’s largest religion has signed on the world’s largest podcasting network, Wizzard Media, to launch the Vatican’s first iPhone & iPad app, “Vatican Observatory.”
With over 75 million iPhone and iPod Touch sales since 2007, the app stands to be widely observed.
The app will furnish daily audio and video messages, transcripts, scripture, imagery, and commentary. Father Michael Manning, ordained Roman-Catholic Priest and popular frontman for the television program, “The Word in the World,” will host the app’s AV content.
The Vatican Observatory app is expected to launch in early April, close to the April 3rd iPad debut, and just in time for Easter on April 4. Proceeds from its sales will benefit the Vatican’s astronomical research institution, for which the app is named.
Wizzard Media hosts podcasts of more than 17,000 podcast creators via Libsyn, Libsyn Pro, Switchpod, and Blast Podcast. Wizzard’s online publishing tools distribute content from 26 points, and is endowed with - drumroll, please - an iPhone compatible flash player.
- Virginia Rubey is a New Orleans journalist and researcher/writer for AVT Magazine. She holds a B.A. from Bryn Mawr College.
