One cough or two...

From Father Z:

I occasionally post about some poor priest whose phone erupts during Mass or in the confessional.  By “erupt”, I mean Father forgot either to leave the phone in the sacristy (best) or to switch off the ringer (acceptable).  The only thing that makes the phone going off (usually a mistake) worse is when he answers.  That said, I was in car with a priest friend recently and, … I heard coughing.


There is nothing unusual about coughing, for priests do, occasionally, cough.  The coughing was coming neither from me nor my priest friend at the wheel.  No, there wasn’t anyone hiding in the backseat.

Father explained that sound was his ringtone.   One cough for a text message, extended coughing for a call.  He added that this cough-tone had saved him more than once while saying Mass.  I offer this tip, to my brother priests (and maybe a bishop or two).

If you must (or you think you must) have your cell phone on during church, I would commend the cough ring noted above -- be you pope, bishop, priest, deacon, or lay.  I really want you just to turn the d____ thing off but since I know many of you will refuse my noble efforts to get you to go cold turkey for an hour or so, this is the next best thing.

But I wonder what is next... a fart ringtone?  Again, just turn it off...