A MOVE by Europe to force Catholic schools to employ teachers who oppose their ethos will be opposed by the Government and the Irish bishops. According to the Irish Catholic newspaper the European Commission has already written to the Government demanding it lift the exemption to equality legislation afforded to religious schools.
The commission said affording religious schools special status to select staff who do not oppose the ethos of the school breaks EU law.
In a statement to the Irish Catholic Executive secretary to the Bishops’ Conference for Education Monsignor Jim Cassin said the Church was alarmed at the move.
He also said it would look to work with other religious faiths to form an alliance against the commission’s actions.
“The Church is very concerned about this move.
“We will be contacting the other churches, as well as the representatives of the Jewish and Islamic communities, to present a united front on opposing this move,” he said.
The situation in Irish law provides for a balance to be struck between the right to protect religious freedom while avoiding discrimination.
The commission said this cannot extend to allow schools restrict employment to people who adopt their creed.
The news comes as Labour leader Eamon Gilmore praised the Archbishop of Dublin Dr Diarmuid Martin for his comments on Thursday which called for Catholic schools to embrace diversity and avoid becoming elitist.
Archbishop Martin said he was disappointed whenever parents opted for certain Catholic schools as a method to avoid integration.
Mr Gilmore said Archbishop Martin had shown greater leadership than the Government on the issue of inter-religious education.
“It would seem that Archbishop Diarmuid Martin is more advanced in his thinking on the role of the denominational education and the integration of migrants than the Department of Education, the Department of Justice and the Department of the Taoiseach combined,” he said.
Mr Gilmore was speaking at a debate in University College Dublin on the subject of the role the Catholic Church has played in Irish society.
He told his audience he was proud of his track record in promoting secularisation and efforts to separate religion from Irish politics.
However, he said given the culture of violence at the moment it was important young people still had a place to turn to for guidance on moral values and that the Catholic Church has a role to play.
“We should not forget the enormous contribution made by priests, nuns and religious orders in running schools, hospitals, parishes and many aspects of social and community life.
And for that the Catholic Church does deserve our gratitude.
“All of the churches, and civil society, must negotiate a public ethic — a set of values which will guide our modern society,” said Mr Gilmore.
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