The following comes from a Mar. 17 posting on Patheos.com.

It was bound to happen.

As apps proliferate for all kinds of purposes, it was probably just a matter of time before one was invented to probe the recesses of conscience for sin.  With version 1.0 appearing in 2011, “Confession: A Roman Catholic App” was released several months ago in its 2.0 version.  2.0 not only fixed past bugs and added new languages, but it also confronts the penitent with “MANY new sins in every examination.”  (I’ll pass on the obvious joke that one might, then, consider sticking with 1.0).

The app is not a substitution for private confession to a priest, but rather an aide in the process. The developer, littleiapps, located in South Bend Indiana, describes the $1.99 app as follows:

Designed to be used in the confessional, this app is the perfect aid for every penitent. With a personalized examination of conscience for each user, password protected profiles, and a step-by-step guide to the sacrament, this app invites Catholics to prayerfully prepare for and participate in the Rite of Penance. Individuals who have been away from the sacrament for some time will find Confession: A Roman Catholic App to be a useful and inviting tool.

The text for the app was developed with the assistance of Thomas G. Weinandy, Executive Director of the Secretariat for Doctrine and Pastoral Practices of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and Daniel Scheidt, priest of Queen of Peace Catholic Church in Mishawaka, Indiana. The app has even received the official “nihil obstat” and “imprimatur” from the relevant Catholic authorities, making it the first known imprimatur ever given for an iPhone/iPad app.  (Nihil obstat and imprimatur [roughly: “nothing stands in the way” and “allow it to be printed”] are the traditional Latin designations given by the Church to books free from doctrinal error.)

To read the entire posting, click here.