Diocese of Westminster accused of discriminating against devout Catholic parents

By Damian Thompson
Jan 12, 2009

The governors of the Cardinal Vaughan Memorial School, one of London's leading Catholic comprehensives, are embroiled in a furious row with the Diocese of Westminster, which they accuse of forcing it to discriminate against practising Catholic parents.

According to the chairman of the governors, Sir Adrian Fitzgerald, the Vaughan's new admission criteria no longer allow the west London school to favour children from committed Catholic famlies. He is so angry that he has complained to Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Pope's right-hand man in matters of doctrine.

Sir Adrian says that the Vaughan is no longer allowed to favour "families who go to Mass every Sunday, parents who have their children baptised within a year of birth, children who have made their first confession and first Holy Communion, families who are actively involved in their parishes or the wider life of the Church, and parents who have shown their commitment to a Catholic education for their children."
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