Using a prayer app in the Adoration Chapel

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I do not have all of the prayers memorized yet, so I discreetly used a ( silent ) prayer app in the Adoration Chapel. I got couple of angry looks, even though I was totally silent and others were noisily rifling through books to find their prayers…

I don’t wish to offend, and I know phones can’t even be taken into the Synagogue- does the Catholic church have a restriction on such devices?
 
No.

A particular parish or chapel might have their own rules and restrictions that should be observed—my seminary prohibits them—but otherwise they are fine.

Before the luddites at my seminary banned all electronic media from the chapel it was not uncommon to see visiting priests on the altar praying Morning Prayer from their iPhones (they were sitting in choir, not the celebrants)… Sure it looked a little tacky, but it meant not having to pack their Breviary.

Unless there are posted restrictions, I would assume it is safe to use. If someone tells you that it is prohibited, politely ask them to see the official notice of the restriction. If they cannot provide it, then, politely, direct them to Mt 7:5.

But in all things remember, John 13:35.
 
I confess to having used my iphone at adoration. If I go at my assigned time, I usually have all of my books with me but not if I just pop in for a visit. I have a Bible ap, a LOTH ap and a Rosary ap that all have been used at adoration.

I do try to use it discretely since some people might get upset. I don’t want to disturb anyone’s peace in the chapel.

(BTW, I saw a picture of a priest saying Mass with the Sacramentary on his ipad. What a great alternative to carrying liturgical books when traveling.)
 
Candescent said:
I do not have all of the prayers memorized yet, so I discreetly used a ( silent ) prayer app in the Adoration Chapel. I got couple of angry looks, even though I was totally silent and others were noisily rifling through books to find their prayers…

I don’t wish to offend, and I know phones can’t even be taken into the Synagogue- does the Catholic church have a restriction on such devices?
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Many are not aware of the apps available for prayer on smartphones.

There is no problem.

Perhaps if you ever have the opportunity, you can share how these apps exists. 🙂

I saw one gentleman while in line for Confession was using the LOTHs app
 
I was wondering this as well however I’ve never received angry/confused looks as I often have my Rosary Beads out alongside my iPhone when saying my prayers. I have seen a couple of other people use their iPhones/iPads also for prayers.

I use a program to keep PDFs of my Novenas and prayers together and I think it’s great having it so easily at the ready instead of bringing a plethora of little prayer books with me. I try to make mass during my lunch break at work so it’s very convenient having it on my iPhone.
 
Let them look. I have the same apps on my phone. If someone chooses to not use technology that is their choice. Likewise if we choose to use the same technology we have that choice as well. If those in adoration would make an attempt to be more welcome to individuals, outside of the ‘click’, then maybe adoration chapels would never be empty.
 
I have 5 different apps for my daily prayers rosary i love using them:bible1::signofcross:
 
I can only imagine that paper is going to become less and less popular and that phones and e-readers will become more and more popular.

Unless your parish specifically bans using prayer apps I would say go ahead and use it. Unless more and more people use apps how will the non-app users learn?
 
Servus_Domini said:
Before the luddites at my seminary banned all electronic media from the chapel it was not uncommon to see visiting priests on the altar praying Morning Prayer from their iPhones (they were sitting in choir, not the celebrants)… Sure it looked a little tacky, but it meant not having to pack their Breviary.
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It is unfair and uncharitable of you to refer to people as Luddites. You also have two separate issues confused here. It is generally OK, with no rules to the contrary, for the people in the pews to use electronic devices to look up the prayers of the day. It is decidedly not OK, with some bishops making explicit, public rulings and others doing what they can, not OK to use an electronic device in place of a blessed Missal or Breviary to lead solemn, formal liturgical worship.

There is also a problem of copyright. As far as I know, the Roman Missal in its official form, and the various volumes of Christian Prayer, are not available in eBook formats. If you have an “app” that displays the Liturgy of the Hours or a website where you go to retrieve the prayers, they will not be the official translation sanctioned by the Church and authorized for use in formal liturgy. So in this sense, you can use a prayer app for personal devotions and private prayer, but you cannot use them for public liturgical worship.

For liturgical worship, it is fitting and right to use an approved text, in a physical book, with Imprimatur and Nihil Obstat, and blessed by a priest, set aside for just this purpose.
 
Go ahead and use your cell phone. Just make sure it is very well silenced. I use my iPhone during adoration all the time. It’s not uncommon to return shortly after and find a nice hand-written note about not using cell phones during Adoration, and that “we’re supposed to be adoring our Lord most truly present in the tabernacle” etc. etc. I am.

What people don’t realize is that books were once considered a piece of technology in the same sense that iPhones are now. My priest has actually “politely advised” people using books during Adoration to keep them quiet and to not russle the pages or flip through them. He has also witnessed me using my iPhone and not said anything about it.
 
Deo_Gratias42 said:
What people don’t realize is that books were once considered a piece of technology in the same sense that iPhones are now. My priest has actually “politely advised” people using books during Adoration to keep them quiet and to not russle the pages or flip through them. He has also witnessed me using my iPhone and not said anything about it.
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There is a cute video on Youtube with monks adjusting to that new technology with IT help.
 
Lots of people here use them. I have never seen any mean looks. But this is a wealthy parish so everyone probably knows about the apps.
 
At daily Mass recently, the priest was following the first reading on his phone. My mom thought he was checking an important e- mail. 😛
 
Elizium23 said:
There is also a problem of copyright. As far as I know, the Roman Missal in its official form, and the various volumes of Christian Prayer, are not available in eBook formats. If you have an “app” that displays the Liturgy of the Hours or a website where you go to retrieve the prayers, they will not be the official translation sanctioned by the Church and authorized for use in formal liturgy. So in this sense, you can use a prayer app for personal devotions and private prayer, but you cannot use them for public liturgical worship.
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I don’t think anyone is arguing their use for public worship. However, there are at least two websites and app lines that feature the correct translation of the LOTH.
 
superamazingman said:
I don’t think anyone is arguing their use for public worship. However, there are at least two websites and app lines that feature the correct translation of the LOTH.
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If they are 100% accurate to the published, approved edition of Christian Prayer, then they are copyright violations, because these publications have never authorized electronic formats. I just verified on Amazon that none of them are on sale in eBook format, and you will not find a legitimate web site that has approved translations. You may find illegitimate ones, but I would hesitate to use these due to the sin being involved in condoning an unethical violation of copyright.

Parts of the Roman Missal have been made available by ICEL and the USCCB for study and proliferation of the improved translation, especially the people’s responses. The Missal in its entirety remains copyright, and is unavailable in online editions. A priest attempting to use the Roman Missal in electronic form would have two obstacles: the Holy See only envisions the use of physical books blessed and consecrated for liturgical use; and no way to obtain a legitimate electronic copy due to copyright considerations.

But use of public domain texts or those specifically licensed for online use on the web or in apps, for private devotion and prayer, this is perfectly acceptable, and should be encouraged, as it sanctifies the use of tablets and phones for a holy purpose and evangelization. The continued strength of the Catholic Church depends on people adopting new technology for their own devotion and to evangelize others, and should be encouraged wherever possible. It is good that publishing houses license their texts for electronic versions and redistribution on the web.
 
ibreviary.com/m/breviario.php
This is from the website of the very well known app, iBreviary. I’m sure if permission was not granted, it would have been taken down by now. This has been up for a long time.

divineoffice.org/
On the bottom of each office: “Used with permission by Surgeworks, Inc for the Divine Office Catholic Ministry.”

Both of these use the correct translation, and as far as one can tell from the outside, they are legal. No, they’re not copies of the entire book, but you only need it day by day anyways in 95% of cases.

Just because something’s copyrighted doesn’t mean permission can’t be granted, especially if it is for the good of the faithful, which having the office on one’s phone certainly is.
 
superamazingman said:
divineoffice.org/
On the bottom of each office: “Used with permission by Surgeworks, Inc for the Divine Office Catholic Ministry.”

Both of these use the correct translation, and as far as one can tell from the outside, they are legal. No, they’re not copies of the entire book, but you only need it day by day anyways in 95% of cases.

Just because something’s copyrighted doesn’t mean permission can’t be granted, especially if it is for the good of the faithful, which having the office on one’s phone certainly is.
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You are right about divineoffice.org, they specifically mention the ICEL copyright so they are using the same text.

iBreviary I am not so sure. There was a one-word discrepancy in a Scripture reading in the common I checked, and also in the Vespers for tomorrow, Monday Week I. It looks like iBreviary is using a similar but not exact copy of the ICEL texts. I would be wary of them as they also appear not to be based in the U.S., but in Italy; they may not be subject to exactly the same copyright laws and penalties, which could explain why they are still functioning.

You are correct that licenses can be granted, and this is obviously the case for divineoffice.org, so I will happily recommend that site as I have seen others doing.
 
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