Cathal BarryA Dominican run secondary school in Dublin has come under fire for its decision to invite a group which is publicly hostile to Catholicism to address its students.
Theologian Dr John Murray warned the principal of St Dominics College, Cabra, to be “cautious” following the school’s decision to reissue a previously cancelled invitation to Atheist Ireland to speak to their Leaving Certificate pupils.
Authorities at the Dublin-based girls secondary school had cancelled the talk which was scheduled to take place earlier this month. Principal Ann Donnelly, however, confirmed to The Irish Catholic that the school’s Board of Management had “made the decision to honour the initial invitation” to the atheist group.
She said the visit “has not yet occurred” and that the board “wishes to make no further comment at this time”.
Dr Murray told this newspaper that while “in principle” he had no issue with an atheist organisation addressing Catholic students, the school had an obligation to ensure the occasion would not be used as an opportunity to promote an anti-Catholic point of view.
“In principle I have no problem with it at all if it’s done well but I would have a problem considering the organisation is Atheist Ireland.
“I would have a problem with somebody who would use the opportunity to promote an anti-Catholic point of view in a Catholic school. A Catholic school can’t be facilitating anyone promoting an anti-Catholic point of view,” he said.
Dr Murray warned that Atheist Ireland “are a rather militant organisation when it comes to the promotion of atheism”.
“They are very anti-Catholic in my view and are very quick to criticise the Catholic faith and the Church’s involvement in schools so that needs to be taken into account,” he said, adding that the school “would want to have the parameters laid out very clearly as to was is and what is not acceptable”.