The priest at Lyras funeral

And it’s not taking sides to say that AF refusal to resign over the heating scandal was unacceptable ( which played right into SF’s hands which I woukd almost guess she intended)

DUP wanted the Petition of Concern scrapped. SF wouldn't agree. SF used it to block Welfare Bill. Wanting cake.......

Goodbye thread.?

You want it scrapped but you’ll use it to suit - cake and eat it on both sides then. But in the context of the subject of this thread wouldn’t it be a magnificent gesture of the DUP to commit to same sex marriage legislation? Just this one gesture to truly honour the memory of LM and send a huge message to the gay community in NI that they are equal with the rest of the UK and the RoI? What’s been asked for is treating all gay people in the UK the same, not giving extra rights to those in NI. I really don’t get why people who think the union is such a wonderful thing think that it’s all right to do a ‘pick and mix’ on what bits we should be unified on.

I also saw Leo Varadkar stand after Arlene Foster.
I saw that too, and just thought that the people sitting nearer the front were just becoming aware that others behind them had stood up and then stood up themselves.

I think the same Callistemon

It's happened to us, too, not at a funeral, but at a concert when we suddenly realised that everyone was starting to give a standing ovation - you hear a shuffling, a quick glance behind and then stand up yourself.

I think the question of who stood up first or last is a complete red-herring. Let's face it, if it had been a member of the gay community who had died under any other circumstances, and without the huge media furore surrounding this death, neither Arlene Foster nor the priest would have been there. So both are complete hypocrites. Crocodile tears!!!

Actually, why was it such a big funeral? Was Lyra - (sorry can't remember her other name) famous as a journalist? I have to admit to never having heard of her before now.

I think when it comes to who stood for the standing ovation there is a lack of understanding about the culture of Northern Ireland, both North and South, when it comes to funerals. It is simply not the custom to have a demonstration of emotion like that and in no way reflects on the depth of grief of the participants. I would have been surprised at such a gesture if I had been present. This death is seen as significant because it came after a long period of peace - a peace which is, and always has been, very fragile. The other 3000+ deaths in Ireland during the Troubles - were just as significant but did not stop the violence returning at the first excuse. You don't have to stand for a spontaneous ovation just because others do.

Gays have church burial services here, how stupid , a priest would there no matter the life of the deceased . Typical comment from an theist

I think clapping and standing ovations after speeches is becoming the norm at many funerals.We attended the funeral of a young friend who died age just 23 ,there wasn't enough space in the crematorium for everyone ,people stood in the aisles and outside and the service was broadcast out to them.The whole service overran by almost 2 hours ! All his friends wanted to have a say and they all got rounds of applause which wouldn't have been allowed in the past.It ran so late his body had to be held for commital until the next day.I guess if family and friends are OK with the standing ovation thats all that counts .
The very first time I saw people applaud a hearse was when Donald Dewar (scottish politician ) died suddenly and the crowds applauded his hearse as it travelled through Glasgow .Customs change Devorgilla with new generations .

No problem Paddyann with customs changing as long as it is done for the right reasons and not just because it has become the fashionable thing to do. I don't have a problem with people applauding a hearse on its way through the streets. That is a showing of respect, just as the Police salute the hearse in my home town. Still, the young have their own way of doing things and it isn't in my book a hanging offence. Personally, I would hate a standing ovation at my funeral.

The people at this funeral were applauding the priest for speaking out about the actions and non actions of the politicians

I get the feeling that the clergy tend to dwell on LOVING one another, which is what God wants, so the gay community is not oppressed in church - to my knowledge. I imagine the doctrine is one gay Catholics might shun - and one hererosexual Catholics have trouble with too.

Our Anglican church has two lay preachers who are gay.
You don't see a 'gay person', you see a person, surely? Using a modern system of morals rather than one from thousands of years ago which advocates stoning and casting out 'offenders' is much more sensible. Love is love, in any form and it should be cherished. I remember a priest saying that to my Irish (lapsed) Catholic father many years ago.

Annie haven't you been following this thread? The situation in N. Ireland for gay people is different from that in the rest of the UK. Prejudice and intolerance is maintained and encouraged by the DUP.
Devorgilla this was by no means the first violent death since the Good Friday agreement. Most murders have been committed by Loyalist. paramilitaries and the majority of those have been of other Loyalists although they have murdered Catholics as well. So the question as to why this was such a media-fest is a good one.

"So the question as to why this was such a media-fest is a good one."

I suppose because she was 'one of their own'. Journalists are part of the media, there was also a lot of media interest when the journalist Christopher Hitchens died, even though a lot of people outside the media had never heard of him either.

trisher you are claiming the people of N.I. Are homophobic , not true

No Annie I am saying the DUP and the Catholic church are homophobic. They think it's a sin.

Doesn’t mean the Church doesn’t care for gays, good grief , do you not know priests of all denominations support people in prison, priests separate the person from their deeds , because a church doesn’t accept gay marriage it doesn’t mean they don’t care for the gay community .

You are using homosexuality to attack the church

According to the statistics on the wesleyjohnston.com site about the past Troubles the Nationalists (combined groups) were responsible for 1886 deaths and the Loyalists (combined groups) for 896. The Army comes in at 299 and the Police 56.
Since the GF Agreement there have been 158 deaths. 74 of these are attributed to Nationalists and 71 to Loyalists. It would appear from The Detail Website and Irish Times that most of these were attributed to internal feuding of the respective sides.
As a previous poster on this thread stated, both sides have serious problems about moving on and dwell too much in the past. Ireland as a whole and of both parts has to agree to put it all in the past and move forward. Perhaps this will be the death that starts that process.

Utter rubbish ab gay sex id a mortal sin and you cannot take communion. This is caring?

This is so not true ,

Homosexual sex is not a mortal sin? What are you talking sbout?

I am talking sense,if only you could do the same , Gays attend Mass, they receive the sacrament, fact,