Sunday, June 20, 2010

What's Next?

Squirt Guns for Baptisms?
Robots in the confessionals?
Credit card machines instead of collection baskets?

IPad coming to church altars with daily missal app

June 18, 2010 - 1:32pm

ROME (AP) - An Italian priest has developed an iPad application that will let priests celebrate Mass with an iPad on the altar instead of the regular Roman missal.

The Rev. Paolo Padrini, a consultant with the Vatican's Pontifical Council for Social Communications, said Friday that the free application will be launched in July in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Latin.

Two years ago, Padrini developed the iBreviary, an application that brought the book of daily prayers used by priests onto iPhones. He said the iPad application is similar but also contains the complete missal _ containing all that is said and sung during Mass throughout the liturgical year.

Pope Benedict XVI has sought to reach out to young people through new media.

(Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)


Ok I can see the iBreviary being somewhat useful and kosher. While I prefer a good old fashion paper book, I guess when traveling having the Breviary on and iPad would be handy. But an iPad on the altar? Seriously? I don't even think the iPad Queen would go for that.

Some of the "Catholic" churches already look ridiculous enough. What with their lack of Crucifixes, Holy Water Fonts, Kneelers and their drum-sets, hot-tubs for baptisms and pant-suit wearing nuns. Do we really need mini-computers on the altar of sacrifice?

I am embarrassed that an Italian would come up with this. An American or Australian I can see. But and Italian? With all that history and beauty over there, not to mention great food. Sigh - am I just overacting? Being old fashion? A jerk?

3 comments:

Karen LH said...

We saw that too and did a double take. My current theory is that AP got their facts wrong and that the app is for us, not the celebrant.

Maurisa said...

iPad Queen thinks this is a very bad and stupid idea! What will the priest do if the thing decides to crash??? There is something about a book in the hand(or on the altar). I'm still not sold on reading my books my iPad.

momto5minnies said...

As another iPad Queen, I think it rather tacky and just plain wrong given the CAtholic Church's traditions. I'm all for so much of the technology that the Catholic Church has embraced because I truly believe that it has done a great job of evangelizing the faith. Just don't do it on the altar.