More than 26,000 Muslims attend Catholic schools in England and Wales, it was reported this week.
According to an annual census of Catholic schools, approximately one in ten of the non-Catholics who attend Catholic schools are Muslim.
The census is the first to collect data on how many non-Catholics attend Catholic schools. It has revealed that nearly a third of the more than 850,000 pupils within the Catholic school system are not Catholic -a total of almost 290,000.
Finnuala Nelis, head of St Patrick’s Catholic Voluntary Academy in Sheffield, told the BBC that about half her pupils were not Catholic. She also said there were Muslim pupils who regularly attended their local mosques, but would go to Catholic religious services at school.
At present a religious free school is allowed to select only half its pupils on the grounds of faith, but Theresa May’s government has said it intends to remove this limit.
The rule has so far prevented the Church from setting up any free schools.
Paul Barber, director of the Catholic Education Service said: “Often parents of different faiths and none value the distinctive and unapologetically Catholic ethos of the Church’s schools.”
MPs call for Parliament to mark Pope’s 80th birthday
A cross-party group of MPs has tabled a motion calling for the House of Commons to congratulate Pope Francis on his 80th birthday.
The motion was tabled by Labour MP Robert Flello and has been signed by nine MPs so far.
The signatories include Christopher Stephens of the SNP, two Conservatives, Edward Leigh and Peter Bottomley, and six MPs from the Labour party.
The motion reads: “That this House congratulates His Holiness Pope Francis on his 80th birthday; recognises his spiritual leadership of over 1.2 billion Catholics worldwide; commends his leading contribution to tackling climate change, promoting sustainable development, welcoming refugees, building peace, encouraging prison reform, protecting religious freedom, and advancing global abolition of the death penalty; and wishes him well for his continued pontificate.”
Ampleforth Abbey given £2.9m
Ampleforth Abbey, home to the largest Benedictine monastic community in Britain, has been awarded a grant of £2.9 million by Heritage Lottery Fund.
The grant will be released in its entirety once Ampleforth Abbey processes plans to make urgent repairs to the Grade II listed Monk’s Bridge and the Grade I listed Abbey Church.
After the necessary repairs are made, it is hoped that more tourists will be attracted to the abbey and grounds. The 2,200 acre estate in North Yorkshire has been home to the Benedictine community since 1802.
Sue Fisher, director of Development at Ampleforth Abbey, said: “Receiving Heritage Lottery Funding’s support is a testament to the historical significance of Ampleforth Abbey. This National Lottery money will enable us to encourage more visitors to come to see and experience the Benedictine way of life in the 21st century.”
Funds will extend the visitor experience and provide a better understanding of monastic life and heritage with the 59 monks engaging with visitors through organised retreats, acts of worship, the visitor centre, tearoom, orchard, shop and landscape.
Sir Peter Luff, Chair of Heritage Lottery Fund, said: “Ampleforth Abbey is a place of inspiration and beauty. It has entranced past generations and will continue to do so in the future thanks to National Lottery players. Visitors will see more clearly than ever the wonderful heritage of buildings, of nature and of faith as they marvel at the Abbey’s breath-taking architecture and enjoy the surrounding landscape.”
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