Can modern technology help strengthen our faith? Some techno-savvy Catholics from South Bend think so.
In his message for the 2011 World Communications Day, Pope Benedict XVI
said it's not enough to just "proclaim the Gospel through the new
media," but one must also "witness consistently."
The developers of
"Confession: A Roman Catholic App" for Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod
Touch think their product helps people do both.
Brothers Patrick and Chip Leinen and their friend Ryan Kreager said
feedback has been positive.
The app, reportedly the only one with an
imprimatur, is designed to help people make a better confession.
Given in this case by Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend,
an imprimatur is an official declaration by a church authority that a
book or other printed work may be published.
It declares the published
work contains nothing offensive to Catholic teaching on faith and
morals.
"The app is really built for two kinds of people," Kreager explained.
"For Catholics who go to confession regularly, it gives the user
information. They enter their name, age, their sex, their vocation and
their last confession date, and it generates an examination of
conscience based on that information."
Centered on the Ten Commandments, the examination would be different for
a young mother than for a teenage boy, for example. The examinations
were provided by two different priests, the app developers said.
In addition to helping Catholics who already make use of the sacrament
of reconciliation, Kreager said the confession app is helping another
group of people.
"It's also for people who've been away from the church and want the
opportunity to go to confession," he told Today's Catholic, newspaper of
the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese.
"You go to the examination of
conscience and it literally walks you through, step by step, your
confessions as you're in the confessional."
Patrick Leinen said that during testing, a man who hadn't been to
confession in 20 years used the app and made his way back to the
sacrament.
"Just the fact that someone had used the app like that, even before it
was released to Apple. ... That's the coolest thing in the world!" he
said.
Serving as a kind of digital notebook designed to help people remember
the various prayers as well as to list the sins they want to confess,
the confession app provides several versions of the act of contrition,
including one in Latin.
Melanie Williams, a 17-year-old junior at Marian High School in
Mishawaka, said going to confession is an important part of her life. A
fan of technology, she appreciates the customized examination of
conscience.
"It makes me evaluate my personal situation in life," she said, noting
how easy it is for her to understand and remember the sins she wants to
confess.
"My favorite part is definitely the inspirational quote that
pops up after you have gone to confession. Each time I feel like it
really tells me what I really need to hear at that moment. It is a great
motivational tool after a good confession!"
In addition to customizing each user's list, everything is password-protected for privacy.
"Once you go to confession, all that information is wiped out," said
Kreager. "All it's going to remember is personal data like your name,
age and date of last confession."
The three developers of the confession app named their company
Littleiapps. Little "i" as in "I must decrease and he must increase,"
explained Chip Leinen. They say they hope to create more Catholic apps
in the future.
"I think it has the potential to bring many teens back to the faith and
confession," said Williams, adding that she knows kids who haven't been
to confession in years for various reasons. "I think this app will be a
wonderful helper for teens to encourage them to go to confession. They
won't have the excuse that they don't know how to go to confession
anymore!"
Editor's Note: For information on downloading the confession app, go to www.littleiapps.com