VATICAN CITY — The Vatican is launching its own YouTube channel to engage more with the digital generation and better control Pope Benedict XVI's online image.

Officials from Vatican Television and Google announced the channel Friday.

Monsignor Claudio Maria Celli, who heads the Vatican's social communications office, said the pope approved of the channel. He said Benedict was "a man of dialogue" who wanted to engage with people wherever they are.

Celli said the Vatican is launching the channel in part to have some control over the pontiff's image, which he said is being used on sites respectful of the papacy and not.

The Vatican plans to update the site daily, with its messages available in Italian, German, English and Spanish.