Camelot Media Group

God and the iPad

The church will not be left behind in the technological dark ages. Just today the Huffington post reported that a new iPad application is being developed to enable priests to use the iPad on the altar instead of a traditional book called the “Missal”.

ROME — An Italian priest has developed an application that will let priests celebrate Mass with an iPad on the altar instead of the regular Roman missal.

The Rev. Paolo Padrini, a consultant with the Vatican’s Pontifical Council for Social Communications, said Friday the free application will be launched in July in English, French, Spanish, Italian and Latin.

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.

The iPad application is similar but also contains the complete missal – containing all that is said and sung during Mass throughout the liturgical year. 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 in a phone interview from his home parish in Tortona, in Italy’s northern Piemonte region. But at the same time “we shouldn’t be scandalized that on altars there are these instruments in support of prayer.”

Padrini, 36, said he expected priests who have to travel a lot for work would find the application most useful, noting that he recently had to celebrate Mass in a small parish where the missal was “a small book, a bit dirty, old.”

“If I had had my iPad with me, it would’ve been better than this old, tiny book,” he said.

Pope Benedict XVI, a classical music lover who was reportedly given an iPod in 2006, has sought to reach out to young people through new media: the Vatican has a regularly updated presence on You Tube and Facebook. Based on the success of the iBreviary, Padrini was recruited by the Vatican to oversee its youth outreach program in the new media, http://www.pope2you.net

He stressed that the iPad application, like the iBreviary, was launched at his own instigation and with his own money and is not an official Vatican initiative. Vatican officials have previously praised the iBreviary as a novel way of evangelizing.

We noted some Hugginton post readers had a few humorous comments to share:

Good for them…now the Vatican has to write more apps for catholics everywhere

iDon’tFWC (fornicate with children)
iCondom (eradicate AIDS in Africa sans condom use)
iPoope ( a fine collection of papal bloopers starting from Pope Pius XII and that small thing called the Holocaust)

And much much more

This is an extremely cool device that lets you throw away your remote controls and use your iPad, iPhone or iPod touch instead. Thanks to the guys who provide the coolest list of iPad accessories for the heads up on this one. I bought it last week and personally found it very easy to setup. If you want one you can get it on Amazon – details are below.

RedEye iPad Remote

RedEye Universal Remote System for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad

• Activity-based control of your home theater from wherever you get a Wi-Fi signal
• Automatic synchronization across multiple iPhone/iPod touch/iPad controllers
• Online database of infrared codes for thousands of home theater devices
• Integrated charging dock
• Includes dock adapters, power supply, 1-year manufacturer warranty

With the RedEye system you can use your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to control your TV, stereo, cable box, DVD player, and many other devices that receive standard (infrared) signals. In other words, no more hunting through your sofa cushions for all those different remotes – all the control you need is right in your pocket.

Rating: (out of 6 reviews)

List Price: $ 188.00

Price: $ 188.00

RedEye mini Plug-in Universal Remote Adapter for iPhone, iPod touch and iPad

• Activity-based control in a convenient, travel size accessory
• Built-in channel guide (US, Canada, Australia)
• Online database of infrared codes for thousands of home theater devices
• No batteries required, leaves iPhone charging connector free
• Includes carrying case, 1-year manufacturer warranty

RedEye mini offers the power of the original RedEye remote for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, but in a convenient travel size. Use RedEye mini with your iPhone or iPod touch at home, work, with friends and family, or while on business or pleasure travel to control your TV, stereo, cable box, DVD player, and many other devices that receive standard (infrared) signals.

List Price: $ 49.00

Price: $ 49.00

In this video Steve shows only three items — Dock, Keyboard Dock, Case — there are two other items, as well, the Camera Connection Kit and 10W USB Power Adapter.