A Catholic bishop in the United States has become the first Church authority to approve mobile phones to aid confession.
In what is termed as an attempt to reconcile the 21st century with
the Catholic faith, Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne in Indiana in
early February sanctioned an iPhone app that aims to help Catholics
through confession.
Confession: A Roman Catholic App for iPhones and iPads is touted as
the ”perfect aid for every penitent” and is designed to be taken into
the confessional. It also encourages lapsed members to return to the
faith.
“Our desire is to invite Catholics to engage in their faith through
digital technology,” said Patrick Leinen of the Indiana-based Little
iApps.
The app walks Catholics through a “personalized examination of conscience for each user,” ekerala.net reported Feb. 7.
It creates a customized and password-protected ”examination of
conscience” based on a person’s age, sex and vocation. It also notes the
time since the last confession and provides seven acts of contrition
for the penitent to choose.
The app is not designed to replace going to confession but to help
Catholics through the act. Catholics still must go to a priest for
absolution.
Leinen said their inspiration came from Pope Benedict XVI’s World
Communications Address on January 24, 2010 that stressed the importance
of a Christian presence in the digital world.
“Our goal with this project is to offer a digital application that is
truly ‘new media at the service of the word,” Leinen explained.
The firm developed the app with the help of Father Thomas Weinandy of
the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Father Dan
Scheidt, pastor of Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Mishawaka, Indiana.
Father Weinandy told reporters that Bishop Rhoades officially
authorized the app for Catholics to use. The prelate also granted it an
imprimatur, the official endorsement from a Church authority.
Leinen said the app has already aided one man to go to confession after 20years.
“When we were actually testing out the software before release we had
one gentleman who hadn’t been to confession in about 20 years. He went
in and did his confession with it and he said it made it much easier on
him.”
Leinen said they hope many more people would “take advantage of this new confession resource.”
The app costs US$1.99.