Local priest offers prayers for Gaddafi

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

irish1967 wrote: »

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/mechanicalturk/2011/02/22/you-say-gaddafi-we-say-gadafy-lets-call-the-whole-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

North_West_Art wrote: »

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

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

-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

stargazer 68

LostCorkGuy wrote: »

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

catbear wrote: »

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.

danniemcq

but would the same be said the week Osama was killed? what about Ian huntly? Gary Glitter? etc etc etc.

I stick to my original point and that not knowing the background of EVERY person in the church at the time a lot of people could have been very offended by his remarks. Yes the catholic faith means forgiveness but that is something you should do in your own time not being forced into a mass mass prayer

stargazer 68

danniemcq wrote: »

Yes the catholic faith means forgiveness but that is something you should do in your own time not being forced into a mass mass prayer

But yet you have no objection being 'forced' to pray for john smith down the road who you know nothing about?

muffler

Stay on topic here lads which is about a local cc in Letterkenny offering prayers at Sunday mass for Gadaffi.

catbear

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

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.

But there's the rub! When they do something that you strongly disagree with, they can say that they did it your name as you have indicated that you are a member of their organisation, regardless of what way you like.
I'm strongly in favour of the German system of church tithes being taken from your income tax, that way Catholics can pay for the sins of their organisation while those unaffiliated aren't robbed.
It's the fairest system.

old hippy

tfitzgerald wrote: »

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 ?

Yeah, I mean what's that Lockerbie all about, or arms to the RA or PC Yvonne Fletcher :rolleyes:

muffler

catbear wrote: »

But there's the rub! When they do something that you strongly disagree with, they can say that they did it your name as you have indicated that you are a member of their organisation, regardless of what way you like.
I'm strongly in favour of the German system of church tithes being taken from your income tax, that way Catholics can pay for the sins of their organisation while those unaffiliated aren't robbed.
It's the fairest system.

old hippy wrote: »

Yeah, I mean what's that Lockerbie all about, or arms to the RA or PC Yvonne Fletcher :rolleyes:

Warnings given for both off topic posts .

Any more and it will be the ban stick.

oranbhoy67

catbear wrote: »

But there's the rub! When they do something that you strongly disagree with, they can say that they did it your name as you have indicated that you are a member of their organisation, regardless of what way you like.
I'm strongly in favour of the German system of church tithes being taken from your income tax, that way Catholics can pay for the sins of their organisation while those unaffiliated aren't robbed.
It's the fairest system.

deleted

old hippy

muffler wrote: »

Warnings given for both off topic posts .

Any more and it will be the ban stick.

Priest offers prayers for international terrorist, then :rolleyes:

V Eight

Shock Horror!
Fr Dinny - just doing his Job and upholding Christian teachings.

Can't say I agree with him but I think he is reminding Catholics of the faith they signed up for; however uncomfortable that may be for them.

oranbhoy67

surely gaddafis alleged involvment in the lockerbie bombing,libyan embassy siege etc & the catholic church are both what the original topic is about??

muffler

oranbhoy67 wrote: »

surely gaddafis alleged involvment in the lockerbie bombing,libyan embassy siege etc & the catholic church are both what the original topic is about??

This is the last of the warnings. If you cant post on topic then dont post at all.

Disputing a moderators instructions on thread is always going to end up badly.

Flibbles

Users here have been getting bold recently! I don't personally agree with what the fr did, but he was well within his right. He could have prayed for osama, or hitler, but he still is praying and offering prayer in accordance with the bible.

fontanalis

The priest in question is an attention seeking moron. Why single out the Libyan (unsure of the spelling)? Are there not other people who died that his congregation may have known that would have made for a more meaningful prayer?

John Doe1

I got baptised and had my first holy communion done by this man, he is a genuinely compassionate man. I no longer believe in god but he wasnt doing it to be "attention-seeking", this is a man who prayed for the man which stabbed him and nearly killed him.

<SNIP>




Mod edit: See my post a little further up.

cosanostra

Is this the same priest that prayed for sadam

Carrickman

In fairness to Fr Dinny he was here in Carrick for years and he is one of the holiest men I have ever met so I don't see the big deal this is just one of his ways, a very nice holy man would would not say anything bad about anyone even about the person who stabbed him a few years ago in Raphoe.

Senna

fontanalis wrote: »

The priest in question is an attention seeking moron.

With a comment like that I know you have never met the man and this is probably the first time you heard of him. Fr Dinny is a true gentleman and although i am far from a practising catholic, he one priest you couldn't help but like.
Christian practice is to forgive the sins of the past and that's what he did by praying for him.


OT: Maybe give out about our political leaders constantly going to Libya to meet gaddafi as late as 2008 to get him to buy our beef before we give out about a priest saying a prayer for someone who had died, regardless of if he deserved it.

firemansam4

Carrickman wrote: »

In fairness to Fr Dinny he was here in Carrick for years and he is one of the holiest men I have ever met so I don't see the big deal this is just one of his ways, a very nice holy man would would not say anything bad about anyone even about the person who stabbed him a few years ago in Raphoe.

He baptized our oldest son and my Wife would know him from when she was young and I would have to totally agree, he seemed a very nice priest.

I can see both points of view on this and can understand people having exceptions to him praying for Gadafi, but it is the Catholic churches teaching for forgiveness and to pray for any souls no matter what there sins where

Maybe the images of him being dragged up by a mob and being shot in cold blood had something to do with him mentioning it, maybe it was playing on his mind as there were some very graphic images.
i'm sure he didn't mean any dis-respect to any of the victims of gadafis past brutality and regime

Local-womanizer

firemansam4 wrote: »

i'm sure he didn't mean any dis-respect to any of the victims of gadafis past brutality and regime

Out of interest, did he also pray for the victims of Gaddafi's regime over the past 30 years does anyone know?

I would find it silly to pray for someone who done evil things to people and not pray for the people who suffered.

Imo, he should have said nothing.

gbee

Too much modding in this thread, the theme is not simply related to one priest in one parish, I think Mr G was very good to Ireland, he supplied uncountable tonnes of arms and munitions for Ireland's cause, even when Mr G was under NATO attack.

The priest praying for fellow parishioners, opens a Rossetti stone as we know we have ancient links to Morocco and Libia and Mr G may well have been a parishioner.

To confine it to the actual priest saying prayers is not allowing the bigger picture to emerge, Hitler, Saddam, Gaddaffi and many more.

Maybe he is a man of intellect and understanding and is saddened by the passing of yet another independent state and power block.

I certainly pray for Mr G, he was punished beyond belief by the US and Nato and suffered the deaths of his own children.

He initially came to power with the motives of his people in mind, rather like Pearse and later Bertie, we have parallels, and to pray for him is kind, as, in his country he was both Pearse and Berite in one.

Maybe the priest can see this and is sad, I am, if I live to his age, I've another 20 years to gain his experience.

Senna

After they read out the names of people who died, don't they say something like "pray for all other departed souls", so yes he does pray for everyone.

I think this whole thing is a bit of a non issue.

firemansam4

I just think he was praying for a man he and many others seen being killed in cold blood on tv nothing else.
Maybe it was bad judgement and a bit of bad taste but just of what I know of him he seems to me to be a kind decent person and i'm sure he didn't mean it to cause any offence

Local-womanizer

Senna wrote: »

After they read out the names of people who died, don't they say something like "pray for all other departed souls", so yes he does pray for everyone.

I think this whole thing is a bit of a non issue.

I take offence he gave special mention to Gaddafi though, what about my Granny that died! :pac:

Pray for all the departed souls, that would have been sufficient.

homer simpson

gbee wrote: »

Too much modding in this thread, the theme is not simply related to one priest in one parish, I think Mr G was very good to Ireland, he supplied uncountable tonnes of arms and munitions for Ireland's cause, even when Mr G was under NATO attack.

The priest praying for fellow parishioners, opens a Rossetti stone as we know we have ancient links to Morocco and Libia and Mr G may well have been a parishioner.

To confine it to the actual priest saying prayers is not allowing the bigger picture to emerge, Hitler, Saddam, Gaddaffi and many more.

Maybe he is a man of intellect and understanding and is saddened by the passing of yet another independent state and power block.

I certainly pray for Mr G, he was punished beyond belief by the US and Nato and suffered the deaths of his own children.

He initially came to power with the motives of his people in mind, rather like Pearse and later Bertie, we have parallels, and to pray for him is kind, as, in his country he was both Pearse and Berite in one.

Maybe the priest can see this and is sad, I am, if I live to his age, I've another 20 years to gain his experience.

Judging by the first line of your post you've read the whole thread, so how did ya miss....

muffler wrote: »

Stay on topic here lads which is about a local cc in Letterkenny offering prayers at Sunday mass for Gadaffi.

...and this...

muffler wrote: »

Warnings given for both off topic posts .

Any more and it will be the ban stick.

...and this ...

muffler wrote: »

This is the last of the warnings. If you cant post on topic then dont post at all.

Disputing a moderators instructions on thread is always going to end up badly.

Plain and simple Ban applied (for any one of three reasons)

It was going soo well to but any more and we may have to lock the thread!

Ham Sambo

If you live by the sword, you die by the sword.

x in the city

North_West_Art wrote: »

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

haha

can imagine someone at the back of church going

'whatever man'

breaking bad style.

Tomk1

Just to be clear, I'm an Atheist and rarely if ever post on the christian threads, but my Father had to pay to get my mother's name mentioned for prayers, also after my Father died, my sister had to pay for my father's name to be mentioned.

I think it's just disrespectfull to hear his name was included with the names of people's dead loved ones. Just one Question did he pray for Steve Jobs when he died? If so then maybe fair play.

note, I won't make any further comment.