Pope Francis has expressed his spiritual closeness to the family of Ann Maguire, the teacher who was stabbed to death in front of pupils at Corpus Christi Catholic College in Leeds on Monday.
Archbishop Antonio Mennini, the Apostolic Nuncio to Great Britain, wrote that the Pope wanted to show his “sincere sympathy in these difficult moments” to Mrs Maguire’s “family, friends, colleagues and the whole community of Corpus Christi College”.
In a letter to Mgr John Wilson, Apostolic Administrator of the Diocese of Leeds, the archbishop added: “I assure you of my prayers for the repose of the soul of Mrs Maguire and for the consolation and strengthening of all those persons close to her and all those who mourn her sudden death. May the Lord grant her eternal rest and the reward of her life of dedication and of service to young people and to education.”
Mrs Maguire, a 61-year-old mother of two, Maguire, who had taught Spanish and RE at Corpus Christi for 40 years was due to retire in a few weeks.
A 15-year-old male pupil at the school was yesterday charged with her murder.
Following the tragedy, Maria Rimmer, head teacher of St Joseph’s Catholic and Anglican High School in Wrexham and Vice President of the Catholic Association of Teachers, Schools and Colleges, warned against installing airport-style security in schools, arguing that such a move would create a “prison-like environment”.
Ms Rimmer said she believed the killing of Mrs Maguire was a one-off event and warned against a knee-jerk reaction.
“We have to cherish the fact that for the most part our schools are vibrant nurturing communities,” she told The Tablet. “If we put in a fortress mentality with detection systems, it would be a counter productive move.”
She went on: “It ramps up the fear factor. School doesn’t become somewhere children feel happy and safe and successful but a drastic and daunting prospect. It’s a school, not an airport, not a prison. Faith schools invest a huge amount in the nurture and care of young people. You have to believe in the goodness of the individuals and you draw that goodness out. That’s what education does. You have to have a climate of trust and respect.”
The murder of Ann Maguire is the first of a teacher in a classroom since the Dunblane killings in 1996. It has also drawn comparisons with the 1995 murder of headmaster Philip Lawrence who was killed outside St George’s Catholic School, Maida Vale in north London.
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