Hold the Phone: Cellulars Silenced in Church

Father Francisco Llopis, of the Church of the Helpless in Moraira in Alicante, says he is using a system that jams the frequencies of the phones, so that the "strident sound" of a call "will not break the silence and prayer" during religious ceremonies.

By turning on the jamming system at the start of a ceremony, "I ensure that the celebration of the religious service will unfold within the parameters of prayer," Father Llopis says. "I have nothing against mobile phones, as I understand that they are a useful tool for work or urgent calls."

The firm that installed the jamming equipment said it the first such system authorized for a church in Spain.