French public university names Catholic priest as president
December 23, 2016
A Catholic priest has been named president of the state-run University of Strasbourg, provoking protests from some scholars who see the move as an infringement on state secularity.
Free eBook:
Free eBook: Defining Issues |
Father Michel Deneken had served as vice-president of the university before being elected by the faculty to the top post. But several professors charged that the appointment would compromise the school’s reputation because of the new president’s “close ties to religious authorities.”
Father Deneken said that the protests represented a false view of secularity: “a policy of neutralization, so religions must be banned from the public sphere.”
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!