The Vatican has just launched a click-and-pray “smart rosary,” which incorporates a “smart cross,” a cross-shaped electronic device made by Acer.
I swear, I checked the sources for an hour: the announcement comes from Vatican News and the device is indeed for sale on the electronics company's website. The announcement defines eRosary as “a tool for learning to recite the Rosary for world peace”.
The smart cross
It aims at the frontiers of the digital world, the one inhabited by young people: eRosary "click to pray" is a technological tool that teaches how to pray, bringing together the best of the spiritual tradition of the Church and the latest developments in technology.
10 grains of black agate and hematite, and a cross that stores the data.
eRosary incorporates a motion sensor that allows you to activate it by making the sign of the cross (no, seriously, where are the cameras? are you playing a joke on me? I don't recover). Once activated, the device allows you to choose between a standard Rosary, a contemplative one or other thematic variations that will be released year after year.
Once active, eRosary will record "progress in prayer" through the stations and mysteries that make up the well-known ritual.
The unmissable app
The data collected by the electronic Rosary is also stored in a companion app (available for iOS and Android) that contains personalized audio guides, images and content.
The device comes packaged with a wireless charging station and 4 days of use are guaranteed by 2 hours of charging. It's on sale on the Acer website for around $ 99.
Side reflections
To use the effective expression of a friend, I am deploying a huge deployment of MAYBE against this initiative: on the one hand, Pope Francis' initiative is disruptive due to the methods of implementation and the communication campaign that accompanies it.
