The Vatican has secured the use of the new Internet domain name “.catholic,” but bloggers hoping that platform could ramp up their own digital pulpit will be disappointed—the Holy See says it’ll be reserved for church-related organizations, not individuals.
Individuals—whether religious bloggers or a cleric—will not have access to .catholic, according to Monsignor Paul Tighe, secretary of the Vatican’s social communications council.
The extension will be reserved for church institutions such as dioceses, parishes, religious orders, schools, universities or hospitals. Use of the domain, Tighe said, will be a guarantee that a site is “authentically Catholic.”
“The domain will create a cohesive and organized [Web] presence … so the recognized structure of the church will be mirrored online,” he said, according to Italian media reports. Read more