THE GLOBE AND MAIL
iSinned. iLied. iCoveted.
Don’t worry, there’s an app for that.
Catholics with a guilty conscience no longer need to find a priest to unburden their souls. They just need to whip out their iPhones. Confession: A Roman Catholic App, bills itself as “the perfect aid for every penitent.” Sanctioned by the Catholic Church in the United States, the application guides users through the sacrament and promises “a personalized examination of conscience for each user,” according to its description on iTunes.com.
Found by Cinàedh.
Selling indulgences for $2.99 a pop?
That’s what drove Martin Luther to nail his resolutions to the All Saints’ Church door in Wittenberg.
Look at the fun that idiot prevented.
The church is always trying to get over on the seven human motivational vectors: PEWSAGL (Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Avarice, Gluttony and Lust.)
Rank them for yourself.
Your friends share your top 3 and your enemies share the bottom three.
I really like that hat.
“ability to add sins not listed in standard examination of conscience”
The above feature to bookmark Frequently Used Sins is nice.
The app could include some Hail Mary credits for one time use for a premium.
Waiting for the Episcopalian App. Still in beta.
holy rollin’ hypocrites rejoice!
the hat? Ass hat.
Before this gets too out of hand, this story isn’t accurate. The description in the app clearly says this isn’t a replacement for confession, just a way to help prepare you for the sacrament.
About damn time. Convenience and repentance just feel so right together. Like foreplay with papaya. Plus I already worship my smartphone, so this only seems natural.
Phht. Read the article. I didn’t, by the way, but I do know that you can’t receive a sacrament over electronic media; the priest can’t hear your confession and give absolution over the phone, radio, e-mail, telepathy, or whatsoever. I therefore intuit that the app concerns preparing for the sacrament. We used to have little “Examen” books in which you could make checkmarks for how many times you committed your sins. They had a handy “examination of conscience” in the back. Still have mine somewhere.
Lynn #8 – We appreciate your thoughtful analysis of the article which you admit you did not read.
If you’re going to tell us what it means, don’t you think it would have been polite to take your own advice and RTFA?
Another source of income for the Child Rapers.
Give them your money and your children in return for what???
“Bless me, Steve Jobs, for I have sinned…”
Let the jokes begin!
what’s the url for God?
So how does this work?
I’m supposed to tell my deepest and darkest sins to a telephone, a device designed to communicate over long distances with strangers, who are unlikely to be God?
I don’t think so.
It’s stupid enough, telling all of your most evil secrets to a damned priest.
There is no way I’m telling them to a damned telephone, especially a damned Apple telephone!
News flash… I would prefer that you leave your confession on any Dvorak post, or just say it out loud the old fashioned way. I’d love to hear what you have to say. Please include all the gory details, and remember… I like it when you talk dirty.
#12: http://god.com/
Only the US Catholic Church had to approve of this? I’m a little surprised they didn’t need to get permission from George Lucas, too. After all, it comes dangerously close to the electronic “OM” confessionals, in his movie THX1138. A kind of secular “Get it off your conscience” booth. That may, or may not, have recorded and filed private confessions. One wonders if this App does any kind of data mining of transgressions?
If there’s an App for that, is there a EULA for the App? Specifically, a Privacy Policy Statement? And do “they” swear on a stack of Bibles, not to keep any record of these sins? And use strong encryption, so Big Brother can’t?
So you may need this if your a pedophile Priest
[you’re – grammar nazi.]
Well the Vatican hypocrisy is consistent… one of many offensive questions is “Have I been guilty of any homosexual activity.” Oh please. I can just see the pope roll his eyes on this one but, hey, $1.99 download cha ching!
I’m waiting for the cyberbullying lawsuit as all 50 states have laws that explicitly address electronic forms of stalking and harassment. I want to see the pope in court, dress and all take this one on.
I don’t need an app or a man to confess my sins to. I confess my sins to Jesus Christ. The app is wrong, but it is no more wrong then Catholic confession.
Hebrews 4
“14 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
16 Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.”
Apparently the Vatican agrees with me that an app should not be used: http://theappwhisperer.com/2011/02/10/vatican-bans-ios-confessional-app/
Now if only we can get them to agree that confession is between the sinner and Jesus Christ without any intermediary.
Ask a Priest why there is a Grille between the Preist and the Pennitent ….
It wasn’t always the case …
Dark Ages Sex Abuse in the Confessional !!!
When will it end ???
When the “Church” is no more !!!
#21 It was already clear that the App was not intended nor approved to replace confession. It was some “helpful guide”.
Surely the church wants their sheeple customers to visit their brick and mortar stores too.
#23 Dallas said, “Surely the church wants their sheeple customers to visit their brick and mortar stores too.”
I don’t understand confession to a Catholic priest. Jesus is the only Priest I need to confess to.
Benjamin: Confession is mostly a Catholic thing. I gave confession up a long time ago, but Catholics still feel the need to confess their sins, and prefer to confess to a priest as an intermediary.
Both Catholics and Protestants do this confession thing in their own way, and apparently it makes them feel better.
cpeumr, have you been guilty of any homosexual activity?
Late to the party, but for some reason was unable to access the site for a couple of days. Mr. Ed (#9) you are right, LOL.
The idea of confession and penitence rose in the earliest years of the Christian church. The “unforgivable sin” was apostasy. However, in a time when Christians were being burned alive, crucified en masse, etc. the church (meaning the people, in their house churches) had to decide how to handle Christians who denied the faith out of fear, then wanted to return to worship. So the sinners would stand outside the place of worship, asking forgiveness of everyone, for lengths of time up to months and years (obviously not standing there constantly, but at the times of communal worship).
Flash forward a thousand years to Ireland, where the monks noticed that their fellow Celts were reluctant to stand out in public asking forgiveness for their adulteries, fornication, etc. (Plus perhaps was not a good idea to publicize the ladies who were so open to sin…) Hence, private confession.
Personally, it’s enough of a penance to confess to one priest in a dark confessional, can’t imagine standing up in front of everyone.