Papal Text Messages now available to Irish Mobile Phone Users

23 Jul 2003

PRESS RELEASE

23 July 2003

PAPAL TEXT MESSAGES NOW AVAILABLE

TO IRISH MOBILE PHONE USERS

Since January 2003, mobile phone users in Italy have been just a click away from reading
a brief daily inspirational message by Pope John Paul II. The Vatican Information Service
announced yesterday that this service is now available in the English language in Ireland,
the first country outside of Italy to receive the service.

The service in Ireland can be subscribed to by sending POPE ON as a text message to 53141.
This will result in the Pope’s “thought for the day” (taken from his homilies, messages
and other writings) being delivered at 12.00 noon each day to the subscriber.

The “short message service” (SMS) will cost Irish users about 20 Euro cent a day
(including VAT), and is offered through all Irish mobile phone operators. The service
is provided by Acotel, an Italian wireless application service provider and multimedia
service integrator that is headquartered in Rome.

ENDS
23 July 2003

Further information:
Catholic Communications Office: 01 505 3000
Fr Martin Clarke: 087 220 8044