Sales of Little iApps' new iPhone “Confession” application have
exceeded the developers' expectations, with the program rising to the
top of Apple's “Lifestyle” application charts, and even drawing the
interest of those outside of the Catholic Church.
“Several Protestant ministers have recommended our app,” Little
iApps' co-founder and developer Ryan Kreager told CNA on Feb. 14.
Those recommendations may have played a part in raising “Confession: A
Roman Catholic App” to the number 1 spot in the “Lifestyle” section of
the Apple's app store, a position it has held since Feb. 9.
The program,
which also runs on an iPad or an internet-enabled iPod, is currently
among Apple's top 100 total applications.
“The response that we've gotten from non-Catholics – from our
Protestant brothers in Christ, as well as those outside the Christian
faith – has been largely positive,” said Kreager.
Some of that outside interest comes from a desire to understand what
Catholics believe and practice.
But Kreager noted that non-Catholics may
find its moral evaluation personally useful.
“The Examination of
Conscience' portion gives anyone an opportunity to consider: 'How am I
doing in my walk with God?'”
Catholics believe that seriously immoral acts must be confessed to a
priest, in accordance with Jesus' granting his Apostles the power to
forgive or retain sins on his behalf.
However, the Church also
acknowledges the genuine value of sincere repentance, even among those
who do not accept this important teaching.
Initially, some media reports on Little iApps' product created
confusion about this teaching by giving the impression that the app was a
substitute for confessing to a priest.
On Feb. 9, Vatican spokesman Fr.
Federico Lombardi clarified what the developers had always made clear –
that the program was intended for use in the context of a proper
sacramental confession, with priestly absolution.
That misunderstanding, Kreager said, had actually provided a further
opportunity to explain the sacrament of Confession to non-Catholics.
The
clarification has also served to help lapsed or confused members of the
Church understand the value of going to Confession.
“We think that the statement by the Vatican – which we stand 100
percent behind – is great,” Kreager stated.
“It gives people an
opportunity to talk about Confession in a public forum. That's always a
great thing, and a teaching moment.”
Plenty of Catholics are hearing the message, and realizing they are long overdue for a visit.
“People have emailed us saying they hadn't been to Confession in 20
or 30 years, and were afraid to go back. But then, they went – because
our app made it a less 'scary' experience.”
Kreager said he and his
fellow developers, Patrick and Chip Leinen, were “extremely humbled” by
these reports.
“Confession: A Roman Catholic App” is the first iPhone app to receive
an “imprimatur,” signifying the official approval from a Catholic
bishop – in this case, Bishop Kevin C. Rhodes of Fort Wayne-South Bend,
Ind.
Although this step seems unusual, Kreager considers it in keeping
with Catholic tradition.
“If you think back to the first book ever printed on a printing
press, by Gutenberg, it was a Bible,” he noted.
“The Church has had a
long and rich history of embracing technologies for deepening of
spiritual life and evangelization.”
He hopes that Little iApps' future products will help to “bring all
of the beauty and richness of the Catholic faith into this new and very
interactive world of technology.”