Northern Ireland: appeal to 'live up to our faith' at teenager's funeral

There were appeals for Catholics and Protestants to live up to their faith at the funeral of murdered teenager Ciaran Cummings in Antrim, North Ireland on Saturday. Hundreds attended the funeral Mass at St Joseph's Church, yards from the spot where he died. During his homily, parish priest Fr John Murray said: "Ciaran will never be forgotten by his family for whom he worked so industriously. And it is to you, Ciaran's family, his mother and father, sister and brother, girlfriend and the wider family circle that the sympathy of all of us in this church goes today. For you he will never be a mere statistic, he will be a name - Ciaran, your son, your brother, your boyfriend." Fr John said: "One of the great tragedies of mankind is its ability to take the best things about the world and use them for the worst purposes. "This world was intended to be a home. We have made it into a place of violence and hatred. Now the world can do nothing but wait for you and me to live up to our faith - be that Catholic or Protestant." The Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, Dr Patrick Walsh, said 19-year-old would never be forgotten by his family and friends. Police believe Ciaran was shot dead by loyalist paramilitaries as he waited for a lift to work at a roundabout in Antrim on Wednesday morning. After the funeral, on the way to the cemetery, the cortege paused briefly at the roundabout where flowers, cards and football scarves, flags and jerseys of his favourite team, Glasgow Celtic, had been placed in his memory.