(NEWSER) – As promised, @Pontifex—otherwise known as Pope Benedict XVI—started tweeting today. The pope's first tweet from his personal account was a blessing, USA Today reports. He followed that up by answering a question, one of many posed to him since his Twitter account was announced using the hashtag #askpontifex. His first three tweets:

• "Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart."
• "How can we celebrate the Year of Faith better in our daily lives?"
• "By speaking with Jesus in prayer, listening to what he tells you in the Gospel, and looking for him in those in need"

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