VATICAN CITY - Pope Benedict XVI has encouraged young Catholics to use the Internet to spread the church's message.

The pope promoted the use of the digital world as a means of making the Gospel known in remarks to 20,000 pilgrims at his weekly audience Wednesday.

He says that the Internet has brought about change in the way news is distributed and how people relate to each other. Benedict urges young people to use the potential of the Internet to build a better world through bonds of friendship and solidarity.

He also underlines the need for a what he calls a culture of respect when navigating.

The Vatican is constantly updating its own presence on the Internet. Earlier this year, the pope got his own YouTube channel.