Catholic symbols in State schools to be phased out

[lismore]

Hello. I have several Irish (nominally) Catholic relatives, though none still goes to Mass. I agree with many posts in this thread, due to scandals, perceived corruption and abuse in the church the influence of the Catholic Church in Ireland has been steadily declining. It would be difficult to imagine the influence over daily life that the Catholic Church in Ireland had, from the article:

State secondary schools are to phase out a range of Catholic influences such as mandatory graduation masses, the display of Catholic symbols only and visits from diocesan inspectors.

A mandatory graduation mass in a State School, that's pretty extreme. God Bless

 

[Kalevalatar]

I do know of a case in Italy, of a Finnish Lutheran expat mom who sued and won a case of banning Catholic symbols in an Italian state school, because it supposedly offended her fellow Christian, but of Lutheran branch, sensibilities.

For all accounts and appearances, it appeared to be purely a vanity case, a test the court system case, because here in Lutheran Finland, we have this notion of what you don't believe in, don't believe to be true and to exist, like ghosts, Santa Claus, aliens or Catholic saints, can't do no harm in fictional depictions, paintings, movies, music and such.

 

[FireDragon76]

Thank you for filling in many of the blanks I had. Very informative. My great grand parents left Ireland to get away from the cultural grip of religion--I wonder how many also left for similar reasons?

I had several grandparents who were of Irish descent. All of them left because of the famines, which were partly caused by English occupation and enforced land-use practices. None left for religious reasons that I am aware of (though all of them eventually intermarried with Protestants and my family is not historically catholic).

The secularization of Ireland is relatively recent and its due to recent scandals, and also changes in tone in Irish nationalism, away from needing to distance themselves from Protestant England.