You can't confess your sins via iPhone, Vatican tells Catholics

London, Feb 10 (ANI): The Vatican has emphatically stressed that Catholics cannot confess via iPhone and modern technology is not a substitute for being present when admitting sins to a priest.

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi's statement comes after the launch of a 'confession application' sanctioned by the US Catholic Church, reports the Telegraph.

"One cannot speak in any way of confessing via iPhone," Fr Lombardi said on Thursday, adding that confession required the presence of the penitent and the priest.

"This cannot be substituted by any IT application," he said.

'Confession: A Roman Catholic app', thought to be the first to be approved by a church authority, walks Catholics through the sacrament and contains what is described as a 'personalised examination of conscience for each user'.

The application is not designed to replace going to confession but to help Catholics through the act.

Some reports on its approval by the Catholic Church in the US suggested confession would now be possible via iPhone. (ANI)