By Susan Brinkmann, OCDS
Staff Journalist
The new iPhone app, Confession: A Roman Catholic App, has not only risen to the number one spot on Apple’s “Lifestyle” app chart, but it’s drawing people back to Confession for the first time in years and is even being used by non-Catholics as a useful examination of conscience.
The Catholic News Agency (CNA) is reporting that Little iApps new confession app is far exceeding the developers expectations in both sales and interest.
“The response that we’ve gotten from non-Catholics – from our Protestant brothers in Christ, as well as those outside the Christian faith – has been largely positive,” said Little iApps co-founder and developer, Ryan Kreager to CNA.
The app has even won the recommendation of several Protestant ministers, he said, and thinks its moral evaluation is personally useful to anyone, not just Catholics.
“The Examination of Conscience’ portion gives anyone an opportunity to consider: ‘How am I doing in my walk with God?’” Kreager said.
Initially, the app caused somewhat of a flap when news headlines were intimating that it could be used in place of confession. But Vatican spokesman Fr. Federico Lombardi made a statement on Feb. 9 clarifying that the program was intended to be used in the context of a proper sacramental confession. The additional publicity only drew more attention to the app, including by lapsed Catholics who were curious to see what all the fuss was about.
“We think that the statement by the Vatican – which we stand 100 percent behind – is great,” Kreager stated. “It gives people an opportunity to talk about Confession in a public forum. That’s always a great thing, and a teaching moment.”
As a result, many Catholics came to the realization that they are long overdue for a visit.
“People have emailed us saying they hadn’t been to Confession in 20 or 30 years, and were afraid to go back. But then, they went – because our app made it a less ‘scary’ experience.”
Kreager told CNA that he and his fellow developers, Patrick and Chip Leinen, were “extremely humbled” by these reports.
The Confession app is the first iPhone app to receive an “imprimatur” – from Bishop Kevin C. Rhodes of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Ind. which signifies official approval from a Catholic bishop.
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