iConfession - Online Reconciliation?

Catholics: No more sitting in a confessional booth and talking to the priest through a screen?  It's a tempting thought. 

But not so fast.

The Vatican has declared that the new iPhone app called Confession: A Roman Catholic App is no substitute for the real thing.

The app, developed by Rev. Thomas G. Weinandy and Rev. Dan Scheidt, now available for $1.99 through iTunes, informs users that it "is intended to be used during the Sacrament of Penance with a Catholic priest only."

And what priest would be opposed to a penitent beefing up their spiritual preparation time before confessing?

Here's how it works:

Users enter their password protected personal information, including name, date of birth, vocation (options include "single," "married," "priest" or "religious") and gender.

Based on this information, the app provides a "custom examination of conscience" with age-appropriate questions ranging from "Have I not been obedient and respectful to my parents?" to "Have I allowed the Gospel to influence my political and social opinions?"

The app also walks you through the act of confession by calculating the number of days since your last confession, offering blank space to record your particular sins, listing texts for traditional penitential prayers and, upon receiving absolution, concluding with a quote from a saint or other religious personage.

As part of last year's World Communications Day, entitled The Priest and Pastoral Ministry in a Digital World: New Media at the Service of the Word, Pope Benedict XVI encouraged priests to "make astute use of the unique possibilities offered by modern communications."

This app, in the hands of priests and laypersons alike, does just that.

"As a straying Catholic looking to come back to the Church more fully," expressed one anonymous user, "this app gave me the extra confidence I needed to go to my first confession."

While making no promises to help penitents avoid those hard conversations with their priest, the Confession app is certainly a step in the right direction for the church's use of relevant digital media.