"Need to seek reconciliation for your sins? Well, thank goodness, there's an app for that." "App" meaning ipod or computer application. Well now I've heard it all...
A new application for Apple's iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch has just been released that allows Catholics to keep track of their sins and prepare for the "sacrament of reconciliation." It's called "Confession: A Roman Catholic App," and it's being touted as "the perfect aid for every penitent." A Catholic myself, but admittedly not a big church goer, there's just something about this whole concept that I find a little strange. The idea, the makers say, is to allow Catholics to gather a list of their sins and prepare for the moment when they enter the confessional at church.
To prompt the user to think it asked questions like "Have I been faithful to the Gospel?" and then goes into the nitty-gritty stuff: "Have I engaged in sexual fantasies?" "Have I looked at others lustfully?" The app then gives a step-by-step guide through process that allows the user to confess to their sins and seek forgiveness. The ultimate goal is for the priest to eventually have a computer in the confessional booth to which the ipod can be plugged into... minimizing the need for thought or conversation. Hmmm...
While the concept was not designed to grant absolution for "sins" say the developers, it's still being met with some disapproval by the Vatican and I can see why.
"I'd be open to that certainly, especially if they hadn't been for a while," says one Vatican spokesperson. "But I think after a while, I'd say, 'Okay, let's put the computer down and let's talk heart to heart.' Because confession is really about people interacting with the compassion and mercy and kindness of the priest. So I think you'd rather have a more honest conversation rather than just a list of sins." And isn't that really the point? Do we really want people walking around doing whatever they please with the thought all they have to do is type up their wrong doings and all is forgiven? It might also be worth remembering that putting things into an electronic device means they are 'out there', meaning this could potentially open up a whole new tool for divorce lawyers.
In the end, confess, don't confess, go to church or don't, that's not really what's important if you ask me, spirituality comes from within. You can type away all you want and I suppose if that helps to get you in tune with yourself and "the powers that be" - fine, but ultimately you have to look within.
