2016-07-27
VATICAN CITY, June 4--You can book a holiday, order your weekly food shopping or simply buy a book on the Internet, but you will never have your sins forgiven online, the Vatican said Monday.

A top Vatican official told Italian media the Roman Catholic Church would rule out giving confessions over the Internet in a document to be issued by the Pontifical Council for Social Communication.

``The Internet is a wonderful instrument for evangelization and pastoral service, but it will never be possible to confess online,'' Archbishop John Foley, the president of the special council, was quoted as saying.

He said that the document would say confession must always be carried out within the sacramental context of face-to-face meetings.

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