Pope Leo XIV Launches Vatican's First Virtual Reality Confession

The Vatican unveiled "ConfessVR," a groundbreaking system allowing penitents to receive sacramental absolution through virtual reality headsets. "The anonymity of the metaverse helps people confess more openly," explained Pope Leo XIV during the demonstration, where he appeared as a floating bishop avatar. The system includes customizable confessionals (Alpine chapel or spaceship themes) and AI-assisted examination of conscience. Traditionalists argue the technology lacks the incarnational aspect of sacraments, citing the Catechism's emphasis on physical presence. However, early adopters report higher confession frequency, especially among digital natives. One user confessed, "I actually remembered my sins better when they appeared as Minecraft-style blocks." The Vatican's IT department is troubleshooting an incident where a glitch caused all confessed sins to appear as "meme theft." Meanwhile, therapists debate whether the "Zoom fatigue" phenomenon applies to divine mercy.