Saints by phone service - blasphemy says Vatican

[Gromit]

"An Italian company that is sending virtual prayer cards to the mobile phones of the faithful was accused of blasphemy yesterday by the Roman Catholic Church.

But the Italian bishops' conference last night accused McKay & Sisters, a Milan-based communications company, of offending Catholics by "exploiting" their faith."

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml =/news/2007/12/05/wsaints105.xml

I am not a christian or a catholic, so I am struggling to find why this service is blasphemous.

Is it not just providing a service to the faithful?

Are the church being churlish because they think they own all the rights to god?

Or, is this service an affront to catholics?

[weecalf]

Heard of having a calling but that is pushing it

[4GS]

I don't know about it being blaphemy, but I think it's about making money from the followers of the Catholic fath. The argument would be Jesus turfing all the money lenders out of the temple methinks.

[Gromit]

I take it the Catholic church doesn't make any money then, and is a poor organisation?

[jno]

is this somehow worse than the thousands of shops around Rome selling plastic madonnas and so forth?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/38136000/jp g/_38136593_mary150ap.jpg

[cambus]

Three euros per week sounds very cheap, just think of all the ungodly rubbish you could spend this on.
If it helps people to keep in touch with their faith, then that must be a good thing.
I would be very interested in this and will enquire in my local diocese, with a view to subscribing to this service.

[jno]

cambus, I'm sure if your local bishop can sell a few indulgences, he will be able to afford a subscription for everyone.

[youngmafbog]

More like the Catholic church is miffed they dodn't think of it first. I suspect they think they are the only ones who should make money out of 'God'.

[China Doll]

I suspect the church just don't like the cutting out of the middle man.

'Roll up, roll, �5.00 and your soul is saved & all your worldy issues will be resolved, we have the tools and we can cure your ills.'

What a load of bollox. From both parts.

[fletcher.5]

I see the catholic church is up to its old tricks again.
Martin Luther may not be around today but, his awarness of the catholic exploitation of its brainwashed faith has not gone away.