“Two years ago, Padrini developed the iBreviary, an application that brought the book of daily prayers used by priests onto iPhones. To date, some 200,000 people have downloaded the application, he said,” News.com.au. “The iPad application is similar but also contains the complete missal – containing all that is said and sung during Mass throughout the liturgical year.”
News.com.au, “Upgrades are expected to feature audio as well as commentaries and suggestions for homilies as well as musical accompaniment, he said. ‘Paper books will never disappear,’ he said from his home parish in Tortona, in Italy’s northern Piemonte region. But at the same time ‘we shouldn’t be scandalised that on altars there are these instruments in support of prayer.'”
Full article here.
More info and download link via Apple’s iTunes Store here: iBreviaryPro (free)
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Readers “James W.” and “TheConfuzed1” for the heads up.]
Pretty slick! I would love to see that
Hey, I just created an app to keep track of your prayers. You enter your prayers on your iOS device, and it uploads them to the associated web service, which periodically broadcasts them into space. It’s free if you accept advertising from services we feel you might be gullible enough, uh, interested in.
Yet another example of the colossal waste of time religions are.
Oh pretty much everything in the world is a colossal waste of time. In fact, life is just killing time until time kills you. Why begrudge those who seek to find some meaning slightly beyond KING KONG 360/3D?
All prayers are answered. The answer is usually no.
If there was an app to upload confessions to your local priest… imagine how much more money the clergy could swindle from its constituents.
Maybe MDN could take a page out of Daring Fireball’s book and disallow comments.
Yes, I do in fact see the irony in my above statement.
I downloaded the excellent iBreviary two years ago (when it was still a 99 cent application). It works pretty well, and has helped to illustrate the benefits of technological devices to some older, more conservative types who were stunned to see that my uber-cool phone included a Breviary.
Technology is an enabler. You can use it to enable good things, bad things, silly things, time-wasting things. Depending on your beliefs, this could app could be any of the above.
I’m glad to see this app. Perhaps it will give people the opportunity to study the Roman Catholic mass and better come to understand it – for good or for bad, that they come to their own true understanding, rather than just showing up at church every Sunday because it’s what you’re supposed to do. Trying to avoid the religion flame wars, I’ll just stop there.
“invents app” ?????????
Can we stop with the religion bashing?
This app is going to be great for travelers (imagine going to Mass in France or Italy and having the English version available on your iPad), and for military chaplains out in the field or in hospitals.
I’m Episcopalian, and wonder if anyone’s doing an app for the Book Of Common Prayer (iBCP?); it would be nice to be able to read Morning or Evening Prayer when I travel.
@altar boy: Well said…and when multitasking comes to the iPad in the later iOS 4 release, it will be easy for people to switch between the iBreviary and one of the Bibles already available (or perhaps one on the iBooks or Kindle app) for conducting their own personal devotions.
iBreviary has recently been re-released. It is visually gorgeous, spiritually meaningful, and free of charge. This is a beautiful example of creative computing.
As a Catholic, I believe that God is present in His Word (the Scriptures), so before a Scripture reading at Mass, the priest generally holds up the book of Scripture readings for viewing and veneration by the people.
Somehow, I don’t think I’ll be able to get into venerating an iPad…
@emmayche,
As am I, and I totally understand. That would present an occassion of sin for me….I would be tempted to worship the wrong thing.
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@emmayche,
As a Catholic, we were taught that the Pope was God’s infallible representative on Earth.
To hell with that line of reasoning. Arrest the Pope.
The message, not the medium what is important. It shouldn’t matter if it is written on an iPad, printed in a book, hand written on a vellum scroll, or etched into stone tablets.
That said, if the congregation all have their iPads at mass to follow along, how many of them will also be quietly updating Facebook, checking email, reading a novel or magazine, playing games, etc instead of paying attention to the mass?
I wonder if this new missal app supports multitasking under iOS 4…
Thank God, I’m an atheist.
I’m a convert to Catholic Christianity.
Many detractors here, as everywhere.
Oh, well.
It’s not their journey.
Pat ’em on the head and wish ’em well.
I think the iBreviary is great, too.
@AppleCider, you were not taught that “the Pope was God’s infallible representative on Earth.” That is what you learned, but not what you were taught. The Pope is only considered “infallible” in VERY specific circumstances that rarely even come up. I can’t remember all the times over the past century, except for one in the 1950’s. Perhaps I’m forgetting another. That’s completely different from being “God’s infallible representative on Earth.” That’s just plain not true.
MW: “truth” Fascinating.
In related news, YouP0rn added HTML5 support, so people can also make a Mess on their iPads and iPhones :o)
justme2: why don’t you just pray that you will be granted the wisdom to understand another language? Religion is the political exercise of herding the masses of people who can’t find something else to live for.
I find it interesting that a sect stuck in 2000-year-old dogma would bother to embrace new technology. They’ve spent enormous energy shunning every other technological advance that came along via scientific method.
Like the priest who invented the Big Bang Theory? Or the fact that the Church invented the Scientific Method? Or the priest that fathered (pun intended) genetics? Or the Catholic brothers that protected Roman agricultural and milling tech during the Dark Ages? Or the Vatican’s use of solar power?
Your ignorance of history is astounding if not suprising.
awwww….SNAP!