School patronage and competing rights

Sir, – "One could frame this debate in a legalistic way, and look at the competing rights under the Constitution to freedom of worship and to non-sectarian education". So says Joe Humphreys ("How the Catholic Church could solve the school patronage problem", Opinion & Analysis, July 27th). While I agree with the thrust of this article (although I am one of his readers who would prefer to see religion out of education altogether), I cannot see how freedom of worship and a non-sectarian education are in competition or in any way incompatible. Surely if freedom of religion means anything in the modern world, it also means freedom from coercion to observe the practices of a religion in which one has no belief?

His comments about the bishops are apt. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has remarked that the outcome of the recent same-sex marriage referendum was a “wake-up call” for his church. It would appear, however, and as is their wont, that his colleagues have pressed the snooze button on the alarm clock. – Yours, etc,

SEAMUS McKENNA,

Windy Arbour,

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Dublin 14.