From the ArcaMax Publishing, Religious News Newsletter:
http://www.arcamax.com/news/religiousnews/s-370876-766060
The Roman Catholic Church is prepared to give up some of its schools
in Ireland, the archbishop of Dublin says.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin told a conference on primary schools the
church is prepared to surrender schools in areas where parents do not
want a Catholic education for their children, The Irish Times
reported.
The church operates the vast majority of Ireland's primary schools,
although they are state supported. But the government plans to open
some non-sectarian schools this year in a pilot program.
Martin said he also wants to avoid Catholic schools becoming "a ghetto
or an illusory safe haven."
"The demand is there. The delay in provision of such alternative
models has made true choice difficult for such parents and indeed for
many teachers," he said. "It also makes it more difficult for Catholic
schools to maintain their specific identity and bring their specific
contribution to a pluralist society."