The Pope is going HD and — not long from now — 3D on TV, according to reports yesterday.

Father Federico Lombardi, director of the Vatican TV Center, said that switching to HD TV was an “obligatory decision,” because he feared “images of the Pope would have gradually been excluded from world TV” if video of the Pontiff’s appearances was not upgraded.

CTV, which covers the activities of the Pope and major events in the Vatican, will begin using the new equipment in time for the Christmas season, Father Lombardi said.

The new equipment cost the Vatican about $4.8 million.

In the future, the equipment will be able to record and transmit in 3D technology as well, according to the reports published yesterday by an Italian news agency.