Pope plugs in to iPod Nano

'Computer technology is the future' says 2-gig Pontiff

By Lester Haines • Get more from this author

Posted in Bootnotes, 6th March 2006 11:55 GMT

Understand how application security is evolving

It's official: computer technology is the future. And, if you've got any doubts about that, ask God's main man on Earth - Pope Benny 16 - cos that's what he said when Vatican staff presented his Pontificateness with a personalised iPod Nano packed with Vatican Radio broadcasts and classical music.

Sadly, God's Rottweiler will evidently not be moshing to Megadeth, nor contemplating things spiritual while enjoying a quick fix of Rush, but rather chilling to Beethoven, Mozart and Chopin, the Catholic News Service reports.

This, as regular readers will remember, puts him rather at odds with the Son of Man who by popular consent would opt for Classic Rock over good, old fashioned Christian material.

No matter. The Pope is apparently well chuffed with his new piece of kit, handed over at his first visit to Vatican Radio's broadcasting HQ. Vatican Radio supremo Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi told Catholic News Service: "We don't have a huge gift to give to the Pope, but we do have small signs of our work."

For the record, Benny's iPod is engraved "To His Holiness, Benedict XVI" in Italian, and also contains "an English-language radio drama on the life of St Thomas A Becket and a 10 minute feature on the creation of Vatican Radio, with original sound clips of the inventor of the radio, Guglielmo Marconi, and Vatican Radio's founder, Pope Pius XI".

Hmmm, we can't help feeling that His Holiness will be looking to grab a quick 10 minutes at a PC with his new toy and his Vatican Platinum executive credit card in search of some more lively material. Might we suggest the soundtrack to The Passion of The Christ for formal occasions and a quick blast of U2 when he wants to kick back and crack a beer? ®

Join our expert panel in discussing application security