A Bishop says Catholic educators are increasingly likely to be condemned “as heretics” if they continue to speak about God and promote traditional faith values within their schools.

Dr Donal McKeown said that criticism of Catholic education will continue to grow, “because we are doing such a good job of daring to speak a counter-cultural message into our society.”

He added: “We will increasingly be condemned for being heretics if we are crazy enough to speak openly about love, community, forgiveness, virtue, family and responsibility rather than just grades and famous past pupils.”

He said some challenges come from those who criticise the existence of faith-based schools and who would prefer that “education could be the only area of society where we don’t have choices”.

Dr McKeown said, “Many will shout for our removal if we are brazen enough to speak of a God who gives meaning to our lives whether we are rich or poor, glamourous or frail, hero or villain.”

Speaking on the theme, ‘The path I walk, Christ walks it’, the bishop stressed, “Our schools do not seek merely to offer a good secular education with a bit of RE fluff on the side.”