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Pope gets a Sony HandyCam

The pontiff can now do what a pontiff does in HD. That's guilt in 1080p!

Matt Hickey
With more than 15 years experience testing hardware (and being obsessed with it), Crave freelance writer Matt Hickey can tell the good gadgets from the great. He also has a keen eye for future technology trends. Matt has blogged for publications including TechCrunch, CrunchGear, and most recently, Gizmodo. Matt is a member of the CNET Blog Network and is not an employee of CBS Interactive. E-mail Matt.
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Matt Hickey
Here! Now I'm all good with the Big Guy, right? Sony Insider

So let's say you're a type of head of state, a prime minister. And you're going around Europe on a tour of the G8 nations. And you're Roman Catholic. Why not stop by the Vatican and give the pope a Sony camcorder?

That's what Taro Aso, prime minister of Japan and a member of Japan's tiny Roman Catholic minority, did Tuesday. According to Sony Insider, the product appears to be an HDR-XR500V HandyCam. They're good consumer models and a great papal gift.

We're wondering if Il Papa will actually use the thing, and if so, what he'll shoot. Secret rites? Classified Vatican secrets? His clearly gold-plated bathtub? No, he's likely going to be making YouTube videos. In HD.