In centuries-old buildings, some Vatican workers have techie paradise

Submitted on September 28, 2011

Carol Glatz | Catholic News Service

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, left, talks with Carl Anderson, supreme knight of the Knights of Columbus, center, during a visit to the Vatican's new high-definition mobile television studio in 2010 at the Vatican. Despite being an age-old institution, the Vatican invests in many cutting-edge technologies without losing its ties to traditions.

CNS photo/Paul Haring

VATICAN CITY -- Looking at the centuries-old buildings and palaces, not many people would know that the Vatican has become a techie paradise, a wonderland of modern equipment and know-how. For instance, the Vatican Library is using NASA technology to digitize its treasures, according to some of the latest facts listed in the "The Activity of the Holy See: 2010," a yearbook published by the Vatican in September. Called Flexible Image Transport System, the digital file format is standard among the world's astronomers for storing, sending and manipulating images.