NEWS & VIEWS
from a CATHOLIC perspective

      NEW ORLEANS (CWNews.com) - The 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a federal law on Tuesday that allowed public school systems to lend library books and computers to private, religious schools, saying the law violated the court-mandated separation of church and state.

      The court used Supreme Court rulings as precedent for the decision, including one which said "secular and religious training are so intertwined that secular textbooks furnished to students by the public are, in fact, instrumental in the teaching of religion." The overturned law was enacted 32-years ago and was first challenged 13 years by Louisiana parents of public school students.

      The court did uphold two state laws that use public funds to pay for special education teachers at parochial schools and to pay for bus drivers for the private schools' students. Those programs provide a secular service that do not advance religion, the court ruled. The Justice Department has not decided whether to appeal.