Reading sins off of iPhone during confession?

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YehoiakhinEx232

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Is it okay jot down one’s sins on one’s smartphone, and read them off during confession? I have been trying to jot my sins down in a note book in the future, but right now, I’m having a hard enough time typing down all my sins onto an iPhone let alone having to write them down in a notebook.
 
Just make sure you delete it straight after - privacy and all.

While I use my phone often for shopping lists and to-do lists, there is something more satisfying in working through a written list and trashing/shredding/burning it when you’re done.
 
@YehoiakhinEx232

yes ,if the Priest allows it ,phone is always a distractions because messages keep popping up you know what i mean,i would rather write it on a paper ,so its easier to burn it later,one thing though, at times i feel we shouldn’t depend always on our intellect to remember and writ it down than relying on the holy Spirit to reveal our hidden faults and pray to Jesus for his mercy as in Psalms 19:12 But who can detect their errors?Clear me from hidden faults.13 Keep back your servant also from the insolent;do not let them have dominion over me.Then I shall be blameless,and innocent of great transgression.

Psalms 119:9 How can young people keep their way pure?By guarding it according to your word.
10 With my whole heart I seek you;do not let me stray from your commandments.11 I treasure your word in my heart,so that I may not sin against you.12 Blessed are you, O Lord; teach me your statutes.13 With my lips I declare all the ordinances of your mouth.14 I delight in the way of your decrees as much as in all riches.15 I will meditate on your precepts, and fix my eyes on your ways.16 I will delight in your statutes; I will not forget your word.14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you,O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.

And the intercession of Mother Mary and the saints like Padre Pio ,St John Maria vianney and other saints close to you,patron saints would be great.
 
That’s how my wife and I make note of what we need to confess; while waiting in line for the confessional, we do an examination of conscience, then type brief notes into our phones to ensure we don’t forget anything. After confession and penance we delete the notes.

Of course, don’t forget to mute your phone. Few things are as embarrassing as a phone ringing loudly in a quiet church.
 
I doubt there is a significant issue with jotting down points you want to cover.

But I see it as especially risky to list ones sins on an unsecured mobile device.
 
I’d prefer paper and pen myself but hey the new generation. Just a note, put your phone on aeroplane mode so you dont get a text or message while you are concentrating on talking to the priest and confession as it’s distracting and rude, even if they are silent and just flashing across the screen you are trying to read from. Silent is not enough, not getting messages/calls is better I’d say. But just out of common courtesy check your priest is ok with it before hand it might throw him if he’s an old school sort of chap, but you know him best I am sure you had thought if that and if it’s the norm where you are I am sure that is fine. My parish is sort of old school and no one has phones/ipads etc out in church, so it would probably look odd to my priest though he’s so mellow he’d catch on soon enough. If you aren’t sure or dont know the priest, a friendly explanation when you go in will explain things and ensure it is understood why the phone is present. God bless.
 
vz71 said:
But I see it as especially risky to list ones sins on an unsecured mobile device.
Click to expand...
Is listing them on a piece of paper less risky? On a phone you can hit the delete button before even stepping out of the confessional.
 
The only sin there, is using an iPhone 😛 , but honestly, sometimes I do use my much Superior Android phone to do the same thing
 
ChuckB said:
Is listing them on a piece of paper less risky? On a phone you can hit the delete button before even stepping out of the confessional.
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A phone is more identifying than a piece of paper and deleted files can be recovered.
 
ChuckB said:
Is listing them on a piece of paper less risky? On a phone you can hit the delete button before even stepping out of the confessional.
Click to expand...
I can burn or shred the paper after.
Hitting delete on the phone may or may not actually delete the data.
I would not trust the device.
 
About as secure as writing them all down and losing either device. Try memory.
 
Try to memorize it or just ask your priest if you can bring a list or your phone in with you. It’s okay if you can’t remember all of it as long as your not intentionally hiding something.

-Natalie
 
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I usually just put my phone on airplane mode the second I walk into church and I wish everyone did. There really is no reason to be having your phone go off in church.
 
The biggest thing I’d be worried about is, if I had to write stuff down to remember to say it— then that sort of implies I didn’t really contemplate my shortcomings seriously in the first place, if that makes sense?

So, for example, if I was impatient with my kids, self-centered in my actions, and wasteful with my time, those are things that are on my radar, and I notice them when I do them, and I try hard to improve myself to be a better parent, be a more responsible and generous adult, and generally be closer to the person that God made me to be. But if I have to look at a list to remind myself that I was impatient with my kids, self-centered in my actions, and wasteful with my time— then that kind of implies it doesn’t really bother me that much that I’m being impatient/self-centered/wasteful, because I wouldn’t remember that I had erred in such a way if I didn’t have a list to remind myself of that.

Our Reconciliation class was taught to say at the end-- “For these and all of my sins, I am heartily sorry” to cover the stuff that we accidentally forgot, or perhaps never noticed in the first place.
 
I think it might be safer to use paper and then burn it after.
 
Sit in adoration and be open to listening. No iPhone (my opinion and not trashing anyone). Peace be with you
 
I get what you’re saying, but even with regularly examining my conscience I can get really anxious in the confessional and just forget everything. Writing it down can give some of us peace of mind.

The Laudate app actually has an examination of conscience where you can check off things and then it gives you a script for confession (but for mortal sins you would still have to supply the number). Perhaps I’m just old, but I find typing on a phone awkward and cumbersome, and paper is faster if I’m going to bring a list.
 
Turn on airplane mode before you go into the confessional, if you use this. It still lets you access what’s saved on the phone itself, but it turns off your signal, data, and wifi. So you won’t get any incoming messages or calls or anything.

I really have my doubts that my sins are interesting enough for anyone to try to recover a deleted file on my phone, honestly.
 
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