French Freemasons demand end to funding for Catholic schools

Grand Lodge of France. Photo: flickr.com

Guillaume Trichard, Grand Master of the Grand Orient of France Masonic organization, has demanded an end to government support for the country’s private Catholic schools, Opoka reports.

The leader of the French Freemasons declared war on religious educational institutions during a lodge gathering in Bordeaux. In his view, private schools that do not have contracts with the state have no place in the Republic. Catholic schools make up the majority of such institutions. The Freemasons are also demanding cuts in funding for primary schools and high schools that operate under state contracts.

To advance these plans, the organization is preparing a special report on school education. Trichard plans to mobilize some 1,400 lodges across the country for the campaign. The Freemasons will hold public conferences aimed at putting pressure on educational institutions and promoting republican values.

Catholic education in France currently serves around two million students. Funding cuts would undermine the stability of these schools and force Catholic families to spend significantly more on their children’s education.

As reported by the UOJ, a Catholic bishop in France recently presided over the funeral of a Freemason.

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