Catholic schools 'need faith communities' [IrishTimes]
- Published: 29 June 2011
THE DEBATE about the future of Irish education, the place of religious education in schools and church patronage cannot be separated “from the broad question of what the role of a Catholic school really is”, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has said.
“I see very little point in being the patron of Catholic schools which are not truly Catholic. Catholic does not mean sectarian. But a Catholic school is more than just an ethos; it is more than just a school where attractive First Communion and Confirmation services are celebrated,” he said.
Speaking at Blackrock College in Dublin last night at the launch of the book Frank Duff – A Life Story, by Finola Kennedy, he said “unless a Catholic school exists within a faith community of parents who are themselves rooted in a broader believing and practising faith community, then that school will be Catholic in name alone.”
He was “pleased to see the work that is being done by the Government’s Forum on Patronage.”
He had “no fear of plurality in school patronage where parents desire it. I believe that the plurality desired by parents is greater than some think.
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