.- The Vatican will give the bishops of Latin America a new secure website, Episcopado.net, to enhance communication through an updated database system.
The project will be officially presented on Oct. 19 in Santiago, Chile, during the Second Congress on the Church and the Digital Culture. The event is intended to promote evangelization through the internet.
Episcopado.net is a creation of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, the Latin American Bishops’ Council and the Internet Network of the Church in Latin America.
It will have 10 videoconferencing rooms in which 25 users at a time will be able to communicate with each other. In total, 250 bishops will be able to simultaneously use the new feature.
The new resource will reduce the number of trips bishops have to make and will enable them to better communicate with each other as they share information, pastoral plans and advise each other.
The site, which will use WebEx technology, will be password-protected and feature online data storage as well as individual email accounts.
The Spanish company Telefonica will provide technical support.
