Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi
Posted on 02/10/2011 1:33:43 PM PST by NYer
.- The sacrament of Confession "cannot be substituted by any computer application," the Vatican said Feb. 9. The remarks by papal spokesman Father Federico Lombardi, SJ, came amid a flurry of misleading international media reports on a new application developed for Apple’s iPhone, iPad and iPod.
"Confession: A Roman Catholic App" helps Catholics prepare for confession by offering a “step-by-step” guide to the sacrament and a “personalized examination of conscience.”
Many media outlets wrongly reported that the application allowed Catholics to go to Confession on the phone or online.
Fr. Lombardi said the essence of the sacrament involves the intimate conversation of the believer and the priest and the presence of Jesus Christ.
"It is essential to understand well that the Sacrament of Penance requires necessarily the rapport of personal dialogue between penitent and confessor and absolution by the present confessor," he said.
"This cannot be substituted by any computer application. There needs to be emphasis put on this to avoid misunderstandings. One cannot speak in any way of 'confession by iPhone'.”
He said that the new application might have “true pastoral” uses as a “digital pastoral aid.” But, those who use it, must be aware that it is “not at all a substitute for the sacrament.”
The application was developed by Patrick Leinen, developer and co-founder of Little iApps and has been approved by Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend and by the U.S. bishops’ top doctrine official, Fr. Thomas G. Weinandy, OFM. Cap.
Ping!
You mean I wasted $1.99 on iPriest 1.1? I even got the iForgiveU add-on, including the Hail Mary loop counter for that .49 surcharge!
That's what you get for believing the sewage spewed by the leftist secular media.
Let that be a lesson to all!
:'}
Then I better remain mum on iRosary and eGrace...
>>Will the Windows program “Blue Screen of Last Rites” still be acceptable? <<
I hope so, since Doctrine says we must embrace the inevitable as God’s Will...
This sounds like a great idea. Wouldn’t more people do it if it were convenient?
I’m not Catholic, just an outsider viewpoint here.....
Is it the 1st of April again? The iRosary suggests so...
British musicians send pope iPod nano packed with modern church music
ESV-Kindle-Only Churches Growing Fast
Google Buys Out all Bible Versions, Offers E-Tablet
Those are all hilarious.
btw: Your name (is it your RL name?) is the same as a man who was very important to me in my youth. He was a man of great dignity who reached down to a guide a child who needed it badly.
Of course, all (of us) who carry the “Murphy” name have the luck and burden of being the best of the Irish!
This is funny, yet instructive. Anytime you put man or machine between you and God you have erred.
I looped the iRosary at high speed processing.
I did 1.2 gigaRosaries in one minute.
At this point I can do anything I want forever and I’m in the clear!
Ain’t technology wonderful! Hail Mary full of grace. The Lord is truly with you!
I'm both honored and humbled to carry the name of that man. Thank you.
I was feeling particularly penitent, so I set the clock speed down.
It isn’t penance if it doesn’t hurt, ya’ know.
I plan on down-clocking Last Rites too, when the time comes...
>>Anytime you put man or machine between you and God you have erred.<<
That isn’t RC Doctrine — just an FYI.
You have quite a mantle. I am sure you carry it well! :)
The only good thing from all this is that it will PREPARE you for the recieving the holy sacrement, BUT, you MUST STILL SEE A FLESH-AND-BLOOD priest for confession.
I read about this earlier this week & thought it sounded like nothing more than a guide for examining your conscience. It seemed like a great way to reach younger, more techno-savvy Catholics who might not otherwise have access to such a resource. Leave it to the media to lie, spin, and undermine all things Catholic by misrepresenting the truth.
And some FReepers are tasteless & immature with their sarcastic, mocking posts. I will pray for them.
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