You won't get a reminder to turn off your cell phone at four Roman Catholic churches in Monterrey, Mexico. But you will get a "no service" or "signal not available" message on your phone. Before each mass, church staff turn on cell phone jammers hidden behind paintings of Christ and statues of saints.
Juan Jose Martinez, a priest in the area, told the Associated Press that many "don't understand that being at mass is sharing a moment with God. ... Sadly, we had no other choice but to use these little gadgets."
Developed for Israeli counterintelligence, the device costs about $2,000, is the size of a paperback and blocks cell phone signals within 100 feet. If you're interested, better forget about it — the gizmos are illegal in the United States.
© 2013 Augsburg Fortress, Publishers
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