Vatican: You Cannot Confess by iPhone

So much for instant absolution: The Vatican today emphatically stressed that Catholics cannot confess by iPhone, one day after news of the "Confession: A Roman Catholic App" emerged, reports the AFP. "It is essential to understand that the rites of penance require a personal dialogue between penitents and their confessor. It cannot be replaced by a computer application," said a Vatican spokesman. Should that not be clear enough: "I must stress to avoid all ambiguity, under no circumstance is it possible to 'confess by iPhone'."

It's worth noting, however, that the company that created it did explain that the app—approved for use by Catholics by an Indiana bishop—walks users through the process of confessing and offers a "personalized examination of conscience," but did not say that it replaced the confessing-to-a-priest part. Click for more.
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