The founder of the Immigrant Council of Ireland, Sr Stanislaus Kennedy, has called on the Catholic Church to "plan to withdraw from running schools" and focus on communicating its values.
Sr Stanislaus said the diversity of the population should be reflected in the education system, but it was for the State and not the church to plan for those evolving needs.
"We have changed radically since the church developed and started to manage our schools. The church should note that change. It is the State's responsibility to provide education - to provide the land and the management. The church's job is to ensure that the faith is passed on. That should be its primary concern," she told The Irish Times.
Arguing that the church had been "used and abused by the State for years", she called on the Catholic hierarchy to "come out and discuss this openly, and to plan strategically". There was a need for greater variety in the education system, and a reasoned public debate could produce a "myriad of approaches".
"I'm calling for an openness from the church. To have all those Catholic schools managed by Catholic priests is not the way forward. I'm not saying there should be a rush out, but there should be a planned approach. It could lead to different forms."
During an address to the National Council of Priests in Athlone yesterday, Sr Stanislaus stressed that the church's task was to spread its faith, ethos and values, "but also to acknowledge and recognise the ethos and values of other religions and faiths.
"The church should plan to withdraw from running schools and focus on ensuring that faith is transferred," she said.
Sr Stanislaus also urged Catholic priests to lobby the Government to change "anti-family" aspects of immigration law. She told them the church had an obligation to protest against the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill, which she believed would make it difficult for some immigrants to sustain family life.
"Whether or not it was the Government's intention, I believe these provisions are not only anti-family but also an attack on the human dignity of those it affects," she said.
Provisions requiring certain non-EU citizens to seek the Government's permission to marry would compromise the right to a family life, while difficulties for migrants' children in accessing education was a barrier to enjoying family life in Ireland.
She said the church "should not silently stand back while people are prevented from establishing themselves as families".
"I believe the church can and should do more to defend migrants' rights, promote social inclusion and integration and to oppose injustice when we see it."
