By The Associated Press

Published: Thursday, November 8, 2012, 2:56 p.m.
Updated: Thursday, November 8, 2012

VATICAN CITY -- Celebrities do it. Presidents do it. Now even the pope will do it.

The Vatican spokesman said Thursday that Pope Benedict XVI will start tweeting from a personal Twitter account, perhaps before the end of the year.

The 85-year-old Benedict sent his first tweet from a Vatican account last year when he launched the Vatican's news information portal. The new Twitter account will be his own, though it's doubtful Benedict himself will wrestle down his encyclicals, apostolic exhortations and other papal pronouncements into 140-character bites.

Benedict, who writes longhand and doesn't normally use a computer, will more likely sign off on tweets written in his name.

Spokesman the Rev. Federico Lombardi says details about Benedict's handle and other information will come when the Vatican officially launches the account.

1. Tunisian security blocks radical Islamists’ conference
2. Senators notebook: Big cheers for little hero Pageau
3. Penguins notebook: Vitale a no-go
4. North Korea fires projectile into eastern waters, 4th test in 2 days
5. 2 men arrested in killing of teen over iPad in Las Vegas
6. Officer shot in Boston showdown wants to work
7. Scandals intrude on Massachusetts race
8. Pakistan repeats vote despite killing
9. Israel favors interim deal with Palestinians
10. Stay out of Conn., governor pleads, saying commute to be snarled for week
11. Medical condition may have caused driver to plow into parade-goers

There are currently no comments for this story.
Subscribe today! Click here for our subscription offers.