Posted on 02/09/2008 3:41:21 PM PST by NYer
THE Catholic bishops have refused to back the stand taken by a 15-year-old girl suspended from a Catholic school for wearing emblems of her faith.
Catrina McDermott was suspended from St Eugene’s College in Roslea, Co Fermanagh, this week because she refused to remove or hide two religious badges.
Her parents said the fourth-year pupil had been wearing the St Patrick and guardian angel symbols on her lapel to give her comfort following bullying when she began attending the school.
The principal of the Catholic maintained school said the emblems were in breach of a strict uniform policy on badges.
Catrina’s mother, Ann, said she was shocked at the decision and said her daughter would continue to wear the badges when she returns to school on Monday.
“Catrina is not ashamed of her religion; she doesn’t want to hide them,” she said.
“It’s a Catholic school so surely pupils are entitled to wear Catholic badges.”
Principal Martin Knox said Catrina was suspended after two weeks of discussion.
“We’ve been very measured in our approach to this,” Mr Knox said.
“If the parents insist on sending the child back with the badges, I certainly would not want to act in a knee-jerk reaction. I would be taking it to a full meeting of the board of governors.”
When asked if the Catholic Church backed the school’s stance, a spokesman for
the Irish bishops said: “It is a matter for the school.
“We will not be making any comment on it.”
Christian medalions??-—no way!
Burqa? definitely OK with the bishops.
If she had come to school in a burka, they probably would have made her Student of the Month.
Dang! You beat me to it!
;-)
Ireland? A Catholic School? Am I missing something here, or is the school principal that much of an idiot?
I’m tempted to bounce that old line off the principal... you know, “Is the Pope catholic?” I’d be interested in his response.
It’s OK to say it again...,it’s so true in this bizarre post modern insanity we are living in.
I think she should appeal to the Vatican.
“I bind myself today
to the One in Three,
the Three in One.”
- St. Patrick
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