# The Pope has resigned. The Vatican has deleted his Twitter history. **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 28, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677 "2013-02-28T23:17:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/1 "2013-02-28T23:17:58Z")
I mean, seriously? What reality are these guys living in? I don’t have the energy to write a really good pitting, but this is so strange to me. I mean, one thing you can say for Mormons, they revere record-keeping. The Vatican just thinks the peasants aren’t literate enough to notice that things are gone. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/2 "2013-02-28T23:21:26Z")
Oh okay, there is still an archive of Pope Benedict’s tweets. Here: [http://www.news.va/it/twitter\_archive](http://www.news.va/it/twitter_archive) ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/3 "2013-02-28T23:21:40Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > What reality are these guys living in? _[Sede vacante](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sede_vacante)_. ---
**Author:** ![Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aji_de_gallina/32/260_2.png) [@Aji\_de\_Gallina](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aji_de_Gallina)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2013, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/4 "2013-02-28T23:52:30Z")
Well, since it is the private Tweeter of the Pope and he’s no longer it, it makes some sense, especially if the have a record of it online. Kinda like changin the picture when you get a new president. Also, the new Pope is going to be in the rare position of having a living pope only a two lbocks away. I think it’s a way of giving the new guy a fresh start. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/5 "2013-03-01T00:01:30Z")
It’s not like he posted anything controversial (or incriminating). He posted popish stuff. Like blessed are the Cheesemakers. I don’t know why it is even worth mentioning. ---
**Author:** ![gotpasswords](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/c57346/32.png) [@gotpasswords](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gotpasswords)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/6 "2013-03-01T01:00:07Z")
I’m more surprised that he tweeted at all. ---
**Author:** ![thelurkinghorror](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7c8e57/32.png) [@thelurkinghorror](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelurkinghorror)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/7 "2013-03-01T01:07:52Z")
Tech savvy people can get a copy of a racist tweet from a congressman that is deleted within 5 minutes after someone stops it. You really think deleting a Twitter account hides anything? ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/8 "2013-03-01T01:49:47Z")
> [@Sattua](#): > > I mean, one thing you can say for Mormons, they revere record-keeping. The Vatican just thinks the peasants aren’t literate enough to notice that things are gone. Are you kidding? The [Vatican Archives](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_Secret_Archives) have astonishing levels of detail for the past 800 years. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/9 "2013-03-01T01:53:53Z")
So sad. I hear he was told not to use the Vatican as a reference when he applies for other jobs. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/10 "2013-03-01T03:15:10Z")
> [@Marley23](#): > > So sad. I hear he was told not to use the Vatican as a reference when he applies for other jobs. I hear he’s interested in becoming a greeter at [UPIM.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UPIM) ---
**Author:** ![Happy\_Lendervedder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/happy_lendervedder/32/8488_2.png) [@Happy\_Lendervedder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Happy_Lendervedder)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 3:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/11 "2013-03-01T03:19:38Z")
Apparently his Tweets weren’t bull. ---
**Author:** ![Cumberdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@Cumberdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cumberdale)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/12 "2013-03-01T13:15:58Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > Are you kidding? The [Vatican Archives](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_Secret_Archives) have astonishing levels of detail for the past 800 years. And they should be open so the world can see them, not be hidden away by a bunch of perverted old child rapers. They belong to all of us not Evil Incorporated aka the catholic church. ---
**Author:** ![Loach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/loach/32/350_2.png) [@Loach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loach)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/13 "2013-03-01T13:29:41Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > Apparently his Tweets weren’t bull. I just wanted you to know that this post [del]will not[/del] did not go [del]unpunished[/del] unrecognized. ---
**Author:** ![MsWhatsit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eb8c5e/32.png) [@MsWhatsit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsWhatsit)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/14 "2013-03-01T13:34:28Z")
This thread delivers. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/15 "2013-03-01T13:56:44Z")
> [@Cumberdale](#): > > > [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > > > Are you kidding? The [Vatican Archives](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vatican_Secret_Archives) have astonishing levels of detail for the past 800 years. > > And they should be open so the world can see them, not be hidden away by a bunch of perverted old child rapers. They belong to all of us not Evil Incorporated aka the catholic church. According to the Wikipedia article, they are open to qualified scholars. I think that’s typical for archives. And some of the documents within the archives are hundreds of years old. Some are delicate; many are valuable. Opening to the general public can cause problems. ---
**Author:** ![Alley\_Dweller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alley_dweller/32/430_2.png) [@Alley\_Dweller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alley_Dweller)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/16 "2013-03-01T14:24:48Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > According to the Wikipedia article, they are open to qualified scholars. I think that’s typical for archives. And some of the documents within the archives are hundreds of years old. Some are delicate; many are valuable. Opening to the general public can cause problems. And [according to the archives’ web site](http://www.archiviosegretovaticano.va/en/archivio/), only documents up to February 1939 plus documents pertaining to prisoners of war from 1939 to 1947 and some documents pertaining to the Second Vatican Council are available for researchers. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/17 "2013-03-01T14:50:26Z")
I’m not surprised. I believe the same thing is true for other archives. Aren’t only the older records of the US Census Bureau available? My initial point was that the OP said of the Mormons (and in apparent criticism of the Catholic Church), “they revere record-keeping.” I’m saying that the Catholic Church also keeps meticulous records, stretching much further back than most other institutions. (Of course few other institutions are as old or as well-connected.) ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/18 "2013-03-01T16:26:58Z")
Benedict XVI BANNED ---
**Author:** ![LawMonkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/d6d6ee/32.png) [@LawMonkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LawMonkey)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/19 "2013-03-01T18:01:44Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > It’s not like he posted anything controversial (or incriminating). He posted popish stuff. Like blessed are the Cheesemakers. I don’t know why it is even worth mentioning. Dude, this is cheese we’re talking about here. The real question is: If Jesus was so perfect, how the hell did he forget the cheesemaker shout-out? ---
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2013, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-pope-has-resigned-the-vatican-has-deleted-his-twitter-history/651677/20 "2013-03-01T20:11:36Z")
Perhaps the Vatican is well aware of computer hacking so they played it safe. You know, you don’t want egg on your face … as in … Eggs Benedict 😃