MOBILE PHONES

Dear Confreres,

I am writing this circular at the request of a number of confreres in the Province who have asked me to write to all on the correct use of Mobile Phones. I am doing this in keeping with our religious commitment.

1. Introduction

The rapid changes that the recent years have witnessed in the area of technological advancement, especially in the area of communication media, have brought tremendous changes also in the lives of all classes of people, including the religious. One of the most significant inventions among these has been the mobile telephone system, which has become a global attraction since 1998. In India it found a market with incredibly rapid growth. Only a few years ago, we could not even imagine that we could speak with anyone in any part of the world just sitting in the comfort of a moving car, or as we do our morning jogging, or from wherever we may happen to be at any time of the day or night.

Thanks to the liberal climate of our country, the openness and competitiveness of the technological market and the growing affluence of the general public, we are witnessing phenomenal advances in the mobile phone industry – the quality of the instruments themselves, the increasing facilities they offer, the attractive incentives offered through price reductions making them affordable even to very ordinary people, and so on.

In addition to the standard voice function of a mobile phone (making and receiving phone calls), current handsets may support many additional services and accessories, such as SMS (short messaging service), e-mail, access to internet and TV, gaming, Bluetooth, infrared, camera with video recorder, MMS (multimedia messaging service) for sending and receiving photos and video, music (MP3) and video (MP4) playback, radio, and GPS (global positioning system). Most handsets today offer facilities such as ring tones, alarms, memo and document reading, personal organizer and personal digital assistant functions.

We are witnessing the emergence of a new world of mobility, the start of a revolution which will have far-reaching consequences, both wonderful and destructive. What we have been experiencing through the world of the television, and then through the world of the computer, is gradually becoming available through the small screen of the mobile handset – the truly personal device. The conveniences it offers for making life easier and more efficient are amazing, and, for many, it is no more a luxury item.

2. Situation in our province

Our province has been no exception to the general trend in our country and several of our confreres were quick to respond to the developments in the region. In some areas of our province the poor landline service rendered by the telecom department was strong enough motivation to go in for a mobile phone connection. In the course of the last four-five years, the developments have been such that it has become a very common-place gadget; in fact, today, if a confrere does not have it, it is an exception.

On the positive side, because of the mobile phone:-

One can be contacted directly, immediately, day or night, wherever one is.

Communication between persons has become easier and swifter with all its advantages. Privacy can be maintained.

The mobile phone serves as watch, alarm clock, calculator, note-book, calendar, navigator, digital camera, audio recorder, video recorder, radio, TV screen, torchlight, etc. making it a very handy and almost indispensable gadget.

On the negative side, an exaggerated use of the mobile phone is being encouraged: for no real need but for flimsy reasons, any time and everywhere and for long stretches of time.

There is disregard for the expenses involved: there is the tendency to go in for the most sophisticated gadget; there is no ceiling on the amount of money spent on phone-calls; often there is sheer waste of money due to ignorance, wrong choice or mismanagement of the instruments or of the connection.

Some have additional phones for more personal/private use, or for special situations, like while on travel through other states or while on holiday or for making “special” calls.

Indiscriminate calls are being made without any restraint whatever. Taking advantage of the facilities available, indiscriminate accessing of the internet, including pornography and other trash data, is happening; so also, downloading of songs, video music, video games, movies and other material resulting in enormous amount of time wasted and dissipation of the mind (let alone the expenses involved).

Some are incurring huge expenses, with bills arriving in four-digit figures on a monthly basis, even if in some cases the community is not paying it and the confreres concerned are themselves finding the means.

The unlimited ‘texting’ plans offered by some service providers are being exploited especially by youngsters who go very late into the night responding to texts, and the phenomenon is beginning to worry even physicians and psychologists, who say it is leading to anxiety, distraction, falling grades, repetitive stress injury and sleep deprivation.

3. Some serious concerns for religious life

Some are known to be engaging in long, frivolous, unbecoming, sometimes even scandalous conversations with girls and sisters, sometimes even late into the night; clandestine meetings and programmes are arranged and carried out; unbecoming messages and visuals are being exchanged.

Even during prayer time, Holy Mass, and other religious services, confreres have been found moving out to answer incoming calls or respond to SMS messages.

Confreres are said to be possessing unaccounted money obtained from different sources to meet their own phone expenses.

One deals a serious blow to the sense of community, to family spirit, to respect for others when one just gets up and distances himself to attend to his mobile phone; it is even worse when he does the attending while remaining on there and obliging others to remain silent as long as the intrusion lasts.

It is becoming an instrument of “time-pass” for some individuals with video music, games, jokes, ring tones, photos, etc., and consequently, time which should have been spent in more wholesome activities and performance of responsibilities is wasted.

New forms of violations of the vows of poverty and chastity have been creeping in and some tend to disregard or belittle norms of religious discipline.

In some instances it would seem to be endangering even the already depleted spiritual life of some individuals who cannot resist incoming calls during prayer moments or liturgical celebrations.

4. Some guidelines for our province

Not everyone is obliged to have a mobile phone. However, in every community or presence it is advisable to have at least one mobile phone to ensure communication with the confreres there.

Temporarily professed confreres and students of theology are not to have mobile phones. The local community will decide about making an exception to this rule when the need arises and for the required length of time.

The phone bills are to be paid by the community and the confrere is accountable to it for the expenses involved. Needless to say, observance of poverty and moderation in the use of the mobile phone are not to be forgotten.

The phone numbers are to be made known to all the confreres of the province through the province directory. But in the context of extortions, it is better not to disclose to strangers the Phone numbers of Heads of Institutions etc. Do not lend mobiles/SIM cards to strangers as ultimately the SIM card owner will be responsible for any misuse.

5. Mobile phone manners

Avoid making a long local or std call when an SMS message would suffice.

Avoid sending/forwarding unbecoming jokes. Chain prayers to specified number of people are a form of superstition and should be avoided.

Switch off the mobile phone while celebrating or participating at a Mass, during prayers/ conference, class or other common function, or whenever it is deemed to be a disturbance. It will be good to inform your relatives and regular acquaintances about ‘no-phone hours’ like Mass/morning/evening prayers etc

Do not answer the phone when someone else is talking to you, or in the dining room when the community is at meal.

Be informed about the health-hazards of the mobile phone deriving from radiation and about the dangers of using it during atmospheric disturbances such as thunder and lightning. Likewise, avoid using the mobile phone while driving a vehicle.

It is my wish and prayer that all of us will use Mobiles in keeping with religious discipline.

Yours in Jesus Christ,

Fr. Joseph Almeida, SDB

Provincial