[danniemcq]

Fr Dinny defends offering prayers for slain Gaddafi at Mass

A PARISH priest has defended offering prayers for Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, writes Cronan Scanlon.

On Sunday, he was prayed for at Mass in St Eunan's Church, Raphoe, Co Donegal, by well-known priest Fr Dinny McGettigan.

Fr McGettigan (72) said he had no problem praying for the dictator who had earned the nickname 'Mad Dog'.

"I just mentioned his name along with the names of the other people from our parish who recently died.

"I would pray for anyone, so I have no problem whatsoever praying for Muammar Gaddafi," Fr McGettigan said.

Asked if he thought it was all right to pray for the soul of a man who murdered, maimed and oppressed Libyan citizens for four decades, Fr Dinny said: "That's all the more reason to pray for him."

One parishioner said: "It bothered no one. Fr Dinny is a very Christian man."

from the indo website,

personally if i was there at the time i woulda walked outta the place.

whatever his own views on the matter i think they should have been private. adding him to prayers during mass really would limit whatever "free will" people in the congragation might have.

who knows who could have been affected by such a monster were in the congragation at the time.

be it someone killed by arms bought from libya, relations either on board or on the ground at Lockerbie Scotland or anyone with friends or family in libya.

[irish1967]

In the Times they made him sound kinda Irish by calling him GADAFY !

[danniemcq]

Originally Posted by irish1967

In the Times they made him sound kinda Irish by calling him GADAFY !

Yeah i think i heard that The Irish Times spelt it wrong ages ago so now have stuck with it since

Our spelling has also prompted a debate thread on Boards.ie, while the good folk at Broadsheet.ie helpfully point out that a Google search reveals that we’re the only news organisation to use this version. ‘It’s a solo run, dude,’ they comment.

Perhaps so. But, as our Foreign Correspondent Mary Fitzgerald points out in a recent tweet, “transliteration from the Arabic throws up several possible phonetic spellings…so New York Times uses el-Qaddafi, BBC uses Gaddafi, LA Times use Kadafi”

And, according to this 2009 post from ABC News, there are 112 different English-language spellings of Gadafy’s name on record.

Having discussed the matter with our Foreign Editor, it appears the Irish Times version is the same as that used by the Guardian up until a couple of years ago (it now prefers Gaddafi). To my eyes, our version looks slightly archaic, perhaps even contrarian, but to describe it as ‘wrong’ would be, er, wrong.

from here http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/mech...ole-thing-off/

nice to see boards mentioned!

[oranbhoy67]

Well the fact that our media cant even agree on how to spell his name shows how little they genuinley know about him...he never deserved to die that way ..if he was guilty of those crimes he shouldve been put through a trial first... but its my understanding that very powerful figures in the west would be fearful of what he could tell.. the way he was murdered was inhumane and barbaric & they still have his body lying 5 days after his death for people to come in and gawk at.

Now im no big fan of the catholic church -i am a catholic but in name only- but maybe the priest was acting out of genuine compassion as a christian? I dunno .. its a thorny issue but its not as black and white as the western media make it out to be thats for sure!!

[North_West_Art]

people are so zoned out at mass that the priest could be offering prayers for Joseph Stalin and Hitler and they wouldn't realise it

[danniemcq]

Originally Posted by North_West_Art

people are so zoned out at mass that the priest could be offering prayers for Joseph Stalin and Hitler and they wouldn't realise it

true nut seeing as priests are supposed to be upstanding members of the community and the moral compass for the parish most people despite being on autopilot will think that the priest is saying the usual

[catbear]

Originally Posted by oranbhoy67

-i am a catholic but in name only-

What does that mean?

[tfitzgerald]

I can't see the problem the priest offers prayers for a dead man . Big deal if he gave a sermon praising him then fine but saying a prayer for the soul of someone who died is a Christian thing to do . Finally all these atrocities that gaddafi carried out you don't read about them much do you ?

[LostCorkGuy]

I'm hardly a devote christian haven't been to mass since easter but isn't god supposed to be all forgiving ? the priest was just applying that logic and praying for what ever sins gadaffi may have commited ?
Personally I find the jeering and celebrations to be much more in bad taste a man was murdered with out a trial then shown off as a trophy , surely nato should have enforced the geniva convention and respected his body and returned it to his tribe ?

[shanered]

so what?

[Rachiee]

honestly seems like a very christian thing to do more priests should follow more to the likes of "what would jesus do"

Ultimately the essence of the faith has been about showing love and compassion to everyone, jesus spent his life working with those who the rest of society shunned.

if the catholic church stuck more to the message of love and forgiveness, it wouldn't be having the kind of problems that it's having and alienating so many people.

P.S. I'm not a catholic but was raised one

[Dovies]

Originally Posted by LostCorkGuy

I'm hardly a devote christian haven't been to mass since easter but isn't god supposed to be all forgiving ? the priest was just applying that logic and praying for what ever sins gadaffi may have commited ?

Have to agree. I dont go to mass etc however those that do are supposed to be good Christians etc - surely thats what all the teachings are about - all forgiving or is it just easier to forgive and pray for good people??

[Flibbles]

The bible teaches forgiveness so he was really just following it's word. In any case, he wasn't saying "Gaddafi (choose how you want to spell it, taking from their language isn't simple) was a good man and should have been left alone", he was just mourning a death of a human life, not the person.

[catbear]

I agree with Fibbles.

Btw, I too was raised a Catholic but I definately am not one now. That's why I'm curious when some say they are Catholic in name only. I'm sure there are many threads about this already so I'll toodle off to them.

[oranbhoy67]

Originally Posted by catbear

What does that mean?

Well it means i was christened a Catholic... did all the sacraments etc but now i dont go to mass & im dissillusioned with the Catholic Church .. & with some of the stuff they have been at in this country alone how couldnt you be??

Yet i wouldnt say ive lost my faith completley i just dont see the point in attending weekly mass.. like when it comes to the census i ticked the box Catholic but the local priest doesnt know me from adam & im quite happy to keep it that way.