Is the Vatican really starting to embrace technology and shake off some of its stuffy old image? First we heard about Pope Benedict's plans for an official Vatican YouTube channel, sending out messages in Italian, German, English and Spanish. Now the Pope's been making comments about social networking websites, which have surprisingly been mostly positive.

While many Facebook users see the site as a place to post pictures of themselves drunkenly partying, or gossiping about hook-ups on their friends' walls, the Pope looked past the indecencies that may show on the surface, pointing out the site's usefulness as a tool for bringing people closer together.

At the same time, the Pope warned of users getting too wrapped up in virtual relationships, neglecting real-world interactions. He also talked about the economic concerns of investing too heavily in online relationships, which limit connections to those between people with the financial means to get online.

This support isn't to suggest that the Pope is turning a blind eye to how content shapes social sites, urging users to behave themselves and keep in mind the "goodness and intimacy of human sexuality" when posting what's potentially risqué.

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