The Vatican has taken a bold leap into the 21st century, opening its own YouTube page.

The page features videos of public appearance by Pope Benedict, who welcomed viewers personally with a clip in which he described the Internet in general and YouTube in particular as a, “great family that knows no borders.”

The Vatican says it hopes the new YouTube page will help unite Catholics worldwide — a captive audience estimated at more than 1.4 billion — and allow the church to better control the Pope’s online image.

In his official launch announcement for the Vatican YouTube page, the Pope praised the Internet and social networking sites in particular as a gift to humanity with the potential to encourage friendship and understanding.

The Pope joins other world leaders who have already set up YouTube pages to help bring their lofty presences closer to the masses. U.S. President Barach Obama launched his pown YouTube site on Inauguration day, last week, and Queen Elizabeth II has had one for over a year.