Hey look, an arguing bishop!

PLANS to build seven mixed-faith, joint-campus schools were thrown into chaos yesterday, when the Roman Catholic Church withdrew its support for the scheme. The Right Rev Joseph Devine, the Bishop of Motherwell, claimed that North Lanarkshire Council’s plans were "flawed" and ignored the Catholic Church’s wishes over how the campuses should be designed. He has now written to Jack McConnell, the First Minister, asking him to intervene personally. Mr McConnell has in the past praised joint-campus schools as a way of tackling sectarianism. (Scotsman)

Now you may think that going down the state-funded route for Catholic schools a bad idea although obviously it brought about a fiscally more equitable state of affairs. I do. You may think that shared campuses are a bad idea full stop. (Though, since it seems that Catholics who attend non-denominational school have a lower rate of lapsation, maybe they're not?) In any case, much credit to Bishop Devine. I may be paranoid, but it doesn't mean that the're not out to get rid of Catholic schools altogether.