The other day my inbox was flooded with people sharing the news about the supposed, officially-approved, Catholic Confessions App for the iPhone. I kind you not–that is the word on the street. And I quote from one of the many articles floating around about it, this one from the New York Daily News:
“An iPhone app aimed at helping Catholics through confession and encouraging lapsed followers back to the faith has been sanctioned by the Catholic Church in the United States. . . “Taking to heart Pope Benedict XVI’s message from last years’ World Communications Address, our goal with this project is to offer a digital application that is truly ‘new media at the service of the word.” . . . The firm said the content of the app was developed with the help of Reverend Thomas Weinandy of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Reverend Dan Scheidt, pastor of Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Mishawaka, Indiana.”
Kind of awesome, right? In an over-the-top way. But then this morning I went searching for news about the new App, and saw that the Vatican has come out criticizing it:
“The Vatican has criticized a new iPhone app for Catholics that lists sins and is designed to be taken to confessional, the Holy See Press Office said on Thursday.
The iPhone application, described as the ”perfect aid for every penitent”, was unveiled on February 2 and triggered discussions about its validity. The $1.99 app allows users to make a list of their sins according to age, gender and vocation (single, married, priest, or religious). . . On February 9, a bishop from the U.S. Diocese of Fort Wayne, Indiana, Kevin Rhodes, granted the app an imprimatur, an official approval from the Catholic Church.”
So an American bishop says yes, but the Vatican says no? What do you think of the latest App for the iPhone? Want to give it a spin?