Google's Eric Schmidt Has Just 15 Minutes With the Pope This FridayWe don't know what they will be discussing, but the Vatican has been increasingly tech-savvy during Francis's tenure.
ByNina Zipkin•
As the former Google CEO and current Alphabet executive chairman, it's probably tough to get even a few minutes with Eric Schmidt. But this Friday, Schmidt will reportedly be the one limited to aquick audience-- 15 minutes, to be exact -- with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
His Holiness is on record as being a big fan of the Internet and what it can do. During hisremarksfor the Vatican's 48th annual World Communications Day in 2014, he said, "the Internet, in particular, offers immense possibilities for encounter and solidarity. This is something truly good, a gift from God."
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While the Pope rarely meets with business leaders such as Schmidt, the Google get-together isn't entirely out of the blue. For the last several years, there has been a technological push at the Vatican, includingpartnering with the tech giantto launch the Pope's YouTube channel in 2009.
Pope Francis has since hosted twoGoogle Hangoutsat the Vatican, though during one, the 78-year-old professedto not knowing much about computers.
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Additionally, in 2010, $6 million was spent onan HD mobile TV studioto more widely broadcast the sermons of then Pope Benedict XVI, andthe Pope's Twitter account, @Pontifex, went live in 2012, and currently has 8.4 million followers.
Director of Google Ideas Jared Cohen will also attend Friday's meeting.
Pope Francis madehis first visit to the United Statesthis past September. While Silicon Valley wasn't on the itinerary, he did stop in Washington, D.C., New York and Philadelphia.
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