A Derry City based priest has said that his appearance at a Sinn Féin rally in Derry last week does not mean he is endorsing the candidacy of Martin McGuinness in the Irish Presidential election.
Fr Michael Canny said that he was at the Derry Free Corner last week at the launch of Mr McGuinness's Presidential campaign purely in a personal capacity.
He said that Mr McGuinness still has questions to answer about his IRA past.
“I have come to this city during the hunger strikes in 1981. I have no reason to believe or not to believe him so I cannot say whether it is true or false. If it's true it's true and if it's false it's false. I do not know.”
Speaking about Mr McGuinness he said, “I have no problem with people questioning Martin about anything on this campaign and any part of his life should be held up to scrutiny, and I think that Martin is the only person who can answer those questions.”
Fr Canny said that he attended the rally to support “a son of the city” and not to encourage people to vote for him.
He said, “I was there in a capacity to wish him well as he embarked on his campaign to become president of Ireland.”
“I am not asking anyone to vote for any party or any individual. It may appear as an endorsement but there was certainly no intention to say anything other than I am here to wish him well on this leg of his journey.”
The rally was also attended by Martin McGuinness's good friend, First Presbyterian Minister Rev David Latimer, who recently addressed a Sinn Féin Árd Fheis.
He said that he attended because he had received an invitation to join the platform party.
“Basically that invitation would have come to me because of the developing friendship that is existing between Martin McGuinness and myself. That friendship started nearly six years ago now. I see it as part of my ministry to reach out to my neighbours.”