This is precisely the kind of situation for which cell phones may be allowed to be turned on.
Not in the middle of Mass, though, and hopefully not during the hours when people are there to pray.
The only calls I take at Mass are from God (my phone is turned off). So far He has avoided calling me there. Geeeesh, He hasn’t even called me outside of Mass.I would love to use the GIRM when addressing concerns since there are so many questions that are arising that are new. In particular, the use of telephones.
A few years ago, when visiting another church, between Masses, there were some ‘workmen’ in the church. One of them stood at the side altar and made his telephone call. This made me cringe, but as I was visiting, I didn’t even ask him to leave. It turns out he was the Celebrant for the Mass I was attending.
At my own church, there have been people, usually teens, but some adults, who have come into the church while talking on the phone. I will go to them and say, ‘please take your call out of the church’. They seem surprised - when could you ever do things like this before?
So many people don’t seem to get the idea that while in Protestant Churches, when their Service ends, the buiding is just a building with walls and a ceiling. For Catholics, our Mass ends, the church is stil a church because we maintain the Body and Blood of Christ in the Tabernacle.
Still, I have seen people walk through the church in conversations. Usually it’s just between Masses, but sometimes, people get a call during Mass, and they take it, too, even though they are asked before Masses to turn their phones off.
I would like to be able to point at what I’m talking about, using either the GIRM or the CCC, and show that the use of phones shouldn’t happen IN the church.
The reason I want to find this is I’m not talking to visitors or casual participants in our Masses, but to Ushers, to people working with the kids, etc.
The feeling of pushing a boulder up a hill with a spoon is pretty intimidating.
We recently had a case where a 31 year old women was arrested for swirving all over the road while texting. There was a police officer behind her. When she was arrested she wasn’t the least bit concerned about the possibility of injuring or killing herself or other drivers. She was only concerned about loosing her license.Have you heard about the people who have died for texting while driving? And the number of states and cities that had already banned the use of phones while driving?
We have people for whom the cell phone is their Leader… and not a tool for their use
Since I work for the federal government, if I’m caught texting while driving, I’m in trouble. In my state texting while driving will officially become illegal in the fall.Have you heard about the people who have died for texting while driving? And the number of states and cities that had already banned the use of phones while driving?
We have people for whom the cell phone is their Leader… and not a tool for their use
There was an ironic thing that happened once at Mass regarding someone who’d forgotten to turn their cell phone off. We had a visiting priest from an order who was giving one of those vocation homilies, you know come join the Franciscans or whatever. At one point during the homily, the priest said,“God may be calling someone from this very parish to the priesthood and be sure to answer.” At that moment, some poor parishoner’s phone went off. The priest laughed and said,“I told you.God was calling someone.” The poor parishoner put his phone on vibrate after that.
Please let me clarifySomething even scarier is I’ve heard a priest tell me people have brought their cell phones into the confessional & answered them during the sacrement of confession.
Note to cathdoki: are you sure God wasn’t calling you and you weren’t answering? An interesting question for all of us to ponder in out noisy distraction filled world.
Something even scarier is I’ve heard a priest tell me people have brought their cell phones into the confessional & answered them during the sacrement of confession.
Adult formation and Catechesis is so lacking in dioceses today even though there is so much literature and communications media on our Catholic faith.
The certain bishops and priests who allow this irreverence themselves are not well catechised!As a layman, this is a bold statement. I’m not here for popular votes or approval. My approval is from God and the Church He has sent forth for us. Yes respect is required from us toward our religious brothers and sisters. How is the Catholic church ever going to retain people in their parishes/dioceses ? Truth in Jesus Christ.
Throughout Church history, the Mass and the Sacraments put God over man. Within the past 40 years man has put himself over God at the Mass and Sacraments.
This is extremely dangerous. We in the Church will pay dearly for this if these issues are not corrected. Mass attendance will drop so low (Look at Eurpoe today.) we will see parishes and dioceses closing in multiple rates. Remember Old Roman Empire? Look at today. Seems like history repeats itself and we as Catholics will be attending Mass in basements and in the woods of the boondocks just like the beginning.
This cell phone use in the church buildings must cease. I do agree with JMCRAE on cell phones about certain dioceses are limited on priest availability to certain parishes. Last year I spent a week in Winfield, AL and attended Mass there. the priest who celebrated mass also moves around to two other parishes in the region. The cell phone now permits more communication with the peope he serves. In between Masses outside the church worship area is appropriate.
The bishops and priests religious and layity, need to get these matters settled or many more Catholics will “jump ship” and abandon their faith. Then there will only be extremely small numbers of Catholics left at the Mass.
We are in the times today where the “world”, whose prince is satan, is using these tactics of liberalism, LGBT lifestyles, government, business, technology, communications to thwart and “scatter the sheep of the flock” from God.
WE MUST OBEY GOD RATHER THAM MEN
God Bless
Yeah… I mean, why do people do that? I seldom hear of any one with a cell phone that doesn’t have voice mail and/or Caller ID. If you call and the call isn’t answered at 12 noon, do you REALLY think the person is any more available at 12:02?Extra-annoying is the call that arrive during Mass, and the cell phone owner is too embarassed to take the time to set the thing on vibrate and just answers and ends the call, and the caller keeps calling back.
Sometimes you just have to use the POWER button to turn it off. I set mine to vibrate during Mass. That way if I get a call, I can check it after Mass. But not during Mass.Yeah… I mean, why do people do that? I seldom hear of any one with a cell phone that doesn’t have voice mail and/or Caller ID. If you call and the call isn’t answered at 12 noon, do you REALLY think the person is any more available at 12:02?
… but then, there are those who say, ‘they kept calling, so I answered’. Maybe I don’t get how phones work or something
Did you read post #43? You are absolutely correct!
Well, I’m lectoring today at 10:15. I’m gonna leave mine on just in case God has a request during the intercessory prayers after the homily. Sometimes ya just never know!
