catholic

Vatican: No, you can't confess to your iPhone

Some may call it the "Jesus Phone," but the Vatican is seeking to remind the faithful that there are limits to mixing the sacraments with technology--even when it comes to the iPhone.

A new application for the iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch that lists sins to be taken to the confessional earned a cautionary warning from the Vatican today. Actually, it wasn't so much the app getting a rebuke as it was the hype that accompanied it.

When it debuted earlier in the month, the $1.99 application, Confession: A Roman Catholic App, was described as preparation for Catholic confession and the ''perfect aid for every penitent."

Users create password-protected profiles and then go through a series of soul-searching questions related to the Ten Commandments. The app displays sins along with a written act of contrition for the penitent. It also lets users log "custom sins" and create "custom examinations of conscience."

Prayers stored in the app include such classics as the Lord's Prayer, the Apostles' Creed, and Hail Mary.

After Kevin Rhodes of the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend in Indiana gave the app an imprimatur, the story turned viral, with some articles referring to the app as a "virtual priest." But in a statement put out by the Vatican, Father Federico Lombardi was quoted reminding Catholics that absolution requires a personal dialogue between penitents and the confessor. … Read more

The 404 754: Where we're laughing our butts off (podcast)

Valentine's Day is around the corner, so we're sure a lot of you are scrambling to schedule dates so you won't be alone with your toy pet Lulu on February 14. The problem is that first dates are almost always awkward, especially if you met on a dating Web site.

To help, OkCupid analyzed user survey data to glean the best questions to ask on a first date that actually correlate to sexier issues you won't get to until the fifth or sixth outing.

According to the site, if you want to get a clue into whether the first date will end in the bedroom, you should ask if your date likes the taste of beer! Or if you want to determine the long-term potential of your future relationship, you inquire about the person's taste in horror movies. And lastly, if you're curious about your partner's political affiliation, the best question to ask is his or her preference for simplicity or complexity.

The Catholic Church just approved an iPhone app that invites followers to run down a sinful check list prior to ease the process of confession.

The Church hopes that wayward souls will be inspired by the app to seek out the church for redemption for the bargain price of $1.99. To our Catholic listeners: don't worry, our resident skeptic Jeff Mubakalar deliberately says very little in this segment.

Finally, we wait until the second half to unleash Jeff on John Brandon, a Fox News reporter who penned an article titled "Is Bulletstorm the worst video game in the world?"

That's unquestionably, absolutely, and without a doubt the most bombastic link bait headline IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD, and Brandon starts off the conversation with a quote from a psychologist that claims "the increase in rapes can be attributed in large part to the playing out of (sexual) scenes in video games." Let the twilight's last reaming begin.

The author also stumbles on the issue of ESRB warnings on the back of games not containing the full reason for the rating; instead, parents only see a truncated version of the objectionable content and are encouraged to go online to get the full justification.

I'll let the hosts speak for themselves, because I know it won't be the last time we get into a fiery debate about who is responsible for video games and the adverse effects they may or may not have on kids. Tune in for the full discussion!

Episode 754 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

The 404 574: Where we're wasting away in Margaritaville (podcast)

Our third host, Jeff Bakalar, doesn't get sick very often, but when it pains, it roars. The last two days have been rough (no offense to Wilson), but we can all breathe easier now that his 10 arms are back running the engineering board just in time for Cinco de Mayo! Unfortunately, we ran out of margarita mix awhile ago, but will you settle for a Jimmy Buffet reference with an extra-funny episode of The 404 Podcast on the side? It's all we got!

My iPhone mysteriously broke last weekend and I thought I was doomed to suffer this ultra-budget Samsung flip phone for the next few months until Wilson referred me to New York's own iPhone repair specialist, Dr. Brendan (not a certified doctor).

Yesterday I took my phone to the clinic (Brendan's apartment) and left fifteen minutes later with a brand new display! Best 75 bones I've ever spent, if you don't count that place where I put that thing that time. Dr. Brendan fixes all sorts of Apple products and we plan to have him and his partner on the show in the near future, but in the meantime check out his Facebook page and tell him The 404 sent you!

Nerds across the world love to celebrate International Free Comic Day, but a greedy thief in Australia dipped his fingers in the wrong honeypot last Saturday. Forty-five-year old store owner Michael Baulderstone spotted a man trying to steal a collector's X-Men comic from his store that was worth $160; luckily, he was wearing a Spiderman costume to celebrate the event and cornered the criminal while signaling to two Jedi Knights (also shopping for comics) to guard the door with their lightsabers until the police arrived.

Silly Padawans: colored plastic flashlights are for kids...and air traffic controllers. Anyway, if the perp had any common sense he would've just shouted a George Lucas sighting at the Popeye's Chicken next door and made his escape.

There are a few more stories to cover on the show today including a Catholic Church turning to Facebook to recruit new priests and a collection of Calls From the Public from last week--who doesn't love leftovers?

EPISODE 574 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video

iPhone rosary app helps you count your blessings

My dad is never without his rosary beads. He wants to go to heaven, you see. He believes it's better than Birmingham, England. He refuses to listen when I tell him that everywhere is better than Birmingham, England.

When I was younger, he would use one of those long strings with groups of 10 Hail Marys separated by 1 Our Father and a crucifix at one end. He then graduated to a little metal ring that just had the 1 bead for an Our Father and 10 for Hail Marys and fitted around his finger.

This was worrisome, because … Read more

Priest introduces fingerprint check for kids at Mass

There are those who believe that enterprise has no place in religion. They are, however, very few in number.

Churches must use every commercial means available to attract devotees, be it advertising, be it incentivizing, or be it the latest in electronic surveillance.

So may I indulge you in the story of Father Gregorz Sowa, a priest in the southwestern Polish town of Gryfow Slaski.

This is not a big place (just over 7,000 inhabitants) and no one terribly famous has ever come out of there to impact the world. However, it is a place, like so many in … Read more

Intuitive digital Bible

Digital Catholic Bible lets users easily find Bible passages by chapter and verse or by searching for specific keywords. It's nothing fancy, but it's easy to use and is a great electronic alternative to a traditional Bible.

The program's interface is basic and intuitive. There are eight versions of the Bible to choose from, although only one is in English. Users can select a book, chapter, and verse from a drop-down menu or search for a chapter with keywords. Each passage is displayed in a large customizable reading pane. The font color, size, and style can be … Read more

Archbishop: Give up texting, Facebook, iPhones and computer games

When your town is home to Ferrari and Maserati (oh, and Lamborghini has a factory there too), perhaps you might not be in the most comfortable position to suggest people swear off their technological toys.

Unless you're Monsignor Benito Cocchi, the Archbishop of Modena, Italy. Monsignor Cocchi has got together with other Italian archbishops to suggest that believers give up texting, Facebook, iPhones and computer games.

Oh, this isn't just on Fridays during Lent. No, he wants his flock to give up these heinous gizmos for as many days as possibly until the Second Coming. (No, not the … Read more

Catholic Match acquires CatholicDaters.com

It's a match made in Heaven.

Catholic Match announced Tuesday it acquired the assets of CatholicDaters.com. The parties, as expected, are gushing like newlyweds.

"It became clear, after some initial discussion, that an acquisition made sense," beamed Catholic Match co-founder Brian Barcaro. And CatholicDaters' founder, Andrew Weyrich, glowed: "Catholic Match embodies many of the values and concepts that were important to us at CatholicDaters."

But hey, this is America, where 50 percent of marriages end up in divorce. So Catholic Match has its work cut out for it in making the most of the … Read more