Pope Benedict XVI joins the tweeting masses, @Pontifex

VATICAN CITY (AP) - Benedict XVI, the pope known for his hefty volumes of theology, is now trying brevity - spreading the faith through his own Twitter account.

The pontiff will tweet starting Dec 12 using his personal handle @Pontifex, responding live to questions about faith during his weekly general audience, the Vatican said on Monday.

Questions can be submitted to #askpontifex, and the pope will likely respond to three to five of those sent from around the world, the Vatican's communications adviser Greg Burke told a news conference.

The pope sent his first tweet last year from a Vatican account to launch the Holy See's news information portal, part of efforts to increase the church presence in social media and spread the faith. A personal Twitter account for the 85-year-old Benedict has been the subject of speculation ever since; Monday's news conference was packed in an indication of the interest it has generated.