An iPhone application aimed at helping Catholics through confession and encouraging lapsed followers back to the faith has been sanctioned by the Catholic Church in the United States, News24 reports.
Confession: A Roman Catholic app, thought to be the first approved by a church authority, walks Catholics through the sacrament and contains what the company behind the program describes as a “personalised examination of conscience for each user”.
Patrick Leinen of the three-man company Little iApps, based in South Bend, Indiana, said: “Our desire is to invite Catholics to engage in their faith through digital technology. Taking to heart Pope Benedict XVI’s message from last year’s World Communications Address, our goal with this project is to offer a digital application that is truly ‘new media at the service of the word’.”
In his address, Pope Benedict XVI emphasised the importance of a Christian presence in the digital world.
Absolution
The application is not designed to replace going to confession but to help Catholics through the act, which generally involves admitting sins to a priest in a confessional booth. Catholics must still go to a priest for absolution.
Little iApps said Bishop Kevin Rhoades, of the Diocese of Fort Wayne in Indiana, officially authorised the app for Catholics to use. The app sells for $1.99.