Pope Lights a Christmas Tree With a Tablet Computer

Pope Benedict in his Vatican residence uses technology to illuminate the world's biggest tree

Pope Benedict uses technology to bring his message of peace and love to people

Christmas can also be enjoyed using technology.

This was shown by 84-year-old Pope Benedict XVI when he turned on the lights of a giant Christmas tree situated on a hillside at a town in Umbria, Northern Italy, using a tablet computer, specifically a Sony Tablet S, on Wednesday. He did this while he was in his Vatican residence. A wireless connection with the local electric grid was utilized for this purpose.

"I hope this will be a light in the darkness," the pope said.

The Christmas tree is the biggest one in the world and has 1000 multi-colored lights arranged across the hillside overlooking the town of Gubbio. It has a width of 1,476 feet and a height of 2,461 feet. It occupies a space of 130,000 square meters.

Also at the top of the hill is the shooting star that has 250 lights. It occupies a space of 10,760 square feet.

The giant light installation for the Christmas tree commenced in 1981 in a town in the Umbria region in Northern Italy. A web server allowed the connection to the lights in Gubbio town. People were able to watch the event as it was aired on Rai Uno public television.

According to the mayor of Gubbio, Diego Guerrini, the event was “a message of peace."

Pope Benedict is known to be one who uses technology to send a message to people. In June of this year, he launched a new Vatican news information and multimedia web portal through his frist tweet using an iPad, a tablet computer.

"Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ! With my prayers and blessings, Benedictus XVI," his tweet said in Latin, the official language of the Vatican.

Nowadays, it is not impossible for families who are separated during the Christmas season to see one another as the internet is able to bridge the gap and bring people closer together.

photo: http://www.focus-fen.net