The Deacon's Bench
A tech-savvy priest who has worked on social media technology for the Vatican is launching a new app he claims will challenge censorship of Christian prayers in Muslim countries.
Launched on Saturday through iTunes, iBreviary in Arabic will give Arabic-speaking priests all the daily prayers they need on their iPhones, enabling them to skirt bans in the sale of the Catholic breviary in parts of the Islamic world.
“This app opens a door for religious freedom,” said Father Paolo Padrini, 41, who has earned the nickname ‘the iPriest’ for his previous work advising the Pontifical Council for Social Communications on new media and his coordination of papal web portal Pope2You.
…Father Padrini said assisting Christian congregations in Muslim countries was increasingly important as priests suffer persecution and violent attacks.
“The Catholic who prays in Arabic is a symbol of religious coexistence and peace,” he said. “I hope that the app is seen as a peaceful and not as a hostile gesture. And I hope it is not censored.”
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