A funeral in Northern Ireland recalls religion's power to divide to unite

WITH statesmen like Tony Blair and Bill Clinton looking on, ancient supplications for the dead were offered on March 23rd over the coffin of Martin McGuinness, the Northern Irish paramilitary turned politician. In the annals of a city with a rich and chequered religious history, this was a most unusual Catholic funeral. Arlene Foster, the Protestant leader with whom he had awkwardly shared power, risked the ire of her own community by attending the obsequies. She drew a cheer from mourners as she arrived at her pew. Mrs Foster and Mr McGuinness had a complex relationship. Until power-sharing broke down a few months ago, she was Northern Ireland's first minister and he had almost co-equal position as her deputy. Then roll the clock back the 1980s: as a policeman's daughter growing up near the Irish border, her childhood memories include narrow escapes from the Irish Republican Army, of which Mr McGuinness was a proud veteran. So her decision to attend the funeral was not a simple one, and when she returns to her local Protestant church in Fermanagh she cannot be sure of getting such a warm reception.The funeral had some other unusual features. In a gesture that would...Continue reading
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