“There are not one hundred people in the United States who hate The Catholic Church, but there are millions who hate what they wrongly perceive the Catholic Church to be.”
— Fulton J. Sheen
It has been a long time since Bishop Sheen made this comment, but the misunderstanding of the Catholic faith continues.
For example, a couple smart folks in Indiana developed a new iPhone app that helps Catholics prepare for confession. It is a really nifty app called “Confession: A Roman Catholic App.” (The app, which I’m using, is more exciting than its name.)
The critical point here is that the app helps a Catholic PREPARE for confession. It doesn’t do confession for you, it doesn’t replace the priest, you can’t do confession via iPhone or email, you can’t text your confession to your priest and the iPhone can’t give you absolution.
Yes, you still have to see a priest, get on your knees and participate directly in the sacrament.
I mention all the misconceptions because they have arisen in various media reports. Seems that many reporters and headline writers think the app can replace confession and the priest. No, that isn’t how the sacrament works.
This may come as a shock to many in the media, but there have been guides to prepare Catholics for confession for a very long time. The various catechisms of the Church have all explained the sacrament and how to prepare to make a good confession. I have numerous prayer books that do the same. And I have attended many retreats and spiritual talks about the need for confession and how to go about doing it right.
In other words, this app – which I think will be very helpful to many people – is new technology applied to something very basic in the Catholic faith.
Last night I went to confession (really). I had my iPhone with me. It was helpful, but of little value without the very holy priest I talked with. After all, the priest is God’s app.
