Using a prayer app in the Adoration Chapel

[curlycool89]

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.

Mine does too. It’s for the unity of the seminarians, and it’s also important to learn how to use the darn books (especially for those who’ve never prayed the Office before).

IThere 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.

That is factually wrong.

iBreviary is an app that was explicitly endorsed by the Vatican (or Italien Bishop’s Conference, I can’t remember) that does have the official ICEL English translation of the Office on it (I know priests who actually make use of it. Many of them talk about how useful it is for travelling, and I have used it and compared the texts myself).

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.

Last I checked, divineoffice.org licensed the ICEL text (see here for example, in the footnote of the middle frame).

iBreviary does the same I believe, but also in like a dozen languages (including Latin, and the Ambrosian Rite, and I believe one of the last updates included the full Salesian propers. You don’t exactly add something like that if it wasn’t requested). If you’re really concerned, why don’t you email the developer and check yourself (who is a Catholic priest from Italy by the way)?

Automatically assume that everyone is infringing on copyright shows a complete lack of charity for these developers, and could be construed as calumny against them by harming their reputation with false accusations.

 

[Elizium23]

Ah, I just found the copyright page on iBreviary. That is legit too. I am sorry for alleged calumny. I should not have posted before investigating them first.

 

[superamazingman]

Mine does too. It’s for the unity of the seminarians, and it’s also important to learn how to use the darn books (especially for those who’ve never prayed the Office before).

That is factually wrong.

iBreviary is an app that was explicitly endorsed by the Vatican (or Italien Bishop’s Conference, I can’t remember) that does have the official ICEL English translation of the Office on it (I know priests who actually make use of it. Many of them talk about how useful it is for travelling, and I have used it and compared the texts myself).

Last I checked, divineoffice.org licensed the ICEL text (see here for example, in the footnote of the middle frame).

iBreviary does the same I believe, but also in like a dozen languages (including Latin, and the Ambrosian Rite, and I believe one of the last updates included the full Salesian propers. You don’t exactly add something like that if it wasn’t requested). If you’re really concerned, why don’t you email the developer and check yourself (who is a Catholic priest from Italy by the way)?

Automatically assume that everyone is infringing on copyright shows a complete lack of charity for these developers, and could be construed as calumny against them by harming their reputation with false accusations.

I agree. When it comes to copyright, if it passes the smell-test and looks legit, and I’m only using it for personal use, I just assume it’s good, unless there’s something that makes me think otherwise.