Tweeting at funerals?

Last week, Bishop Christopher Coyne of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis had a few things to say about tweeting in church.

He had heard on the radio that a number of people were tweeting at the celebrity-studded funeral of Myra Kraft, wife of Robert Kraft, owner of the New England Patriots.

And he was justifiably appalled:

As far as the other “mourners” who were at the funeral and were tweeting, my question to them is “why?”  To what purpose?  What good is really being served here?  Who was being served here?  Certainly not Myra Kraft.  Certainly not her family.  “Look at me!  I’m at Myra Kraft’s funeral with Donald Trump and Tom Brady!”  They can’t even claim some kind of press/media, “I’m just doing my job” excuse. When the Kraft family looked out and saw the tweeters sitting there, if they noticed them at all, I think they thought they were there to show their respect and esteem for her and the Kraft family and to offer prayers and support to them.  Let me ask the tweeters this.  How would you feel if your were at your mother’s or wife’s funeral and you looked out and saw someone looking down at their phone and texting messages?  Well, then, why would you think this is a good idea for you to do it at someone else’s loved one’s funeral.  Danny Ainge, the general manager of the Boston Celtics, once said in an interview that he thought most tweeting was basically a selfish act, designed to draw attention to the person tweeting.  I think in the case of people tweeting at Myra Kraft’s funeral his point was proven true.  Next time, turn off the cell phone.  No one is that important.

Read the whole thing. The good bishop promises more on this topic next week.

I have to say: I haven’t noticed any excessive tweeting during mass.

Ringing cell phones?  That’s something else.  Don’t get me started…