A sane solution to an Irish absurdity

Taking faith formation out of schools is a good idea – after all, it worked last time round

Non-Catholic teachers in Catholic schools are placed in the invidious position of teaching a faith they do not believe in Pic: Getty

Across this country, teachers who don’t believe in the Catholic sacraments are teaching those sacraments to the children of parents who don’t believe in the sacraments.

This is a peculiarly Irish absurdity, on display everywhere this weekend at First Holy Communion celebrations. Though it may sound like an Irish solution to an Irish problem, in fact it is the accidental product of history and social forces. The news last week that the the ...