Italy school crucifixes 'barred'
BBC News | Tuesday, 3 November 2009
The European Court of Human Rights has ruled against the use of crucifixes in classrooms in Italy.
It said the practice violated the right of parents to educate their children as they saw fit, and ran counter to the child's right to freedom of religion.
The case was brought by an Italian mother, Soile Lautsi, who wants to give her children a secular education.
The Vatican said it was shocked by the ruling, calling it "wrong and myopic" to exclude the crucifix from education.
The ruling has sparked anger in the largely Catholic country, with one politician calling the move "shameful".
The Strasbourg court found that: "The compulsory display of a symbol of a given confession in premises used by the public authorities... restricted the right of parents to educate their children in conformity with their convictions."
It also restricted the "right of children to believe or not to believe", the seven judges ruling on the case said in a statement quoted by AFP news agency
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Vatican spokesman the Rev Federico Lombardi said theEuropean court had no right intervening in such a profoundly Italian matter, the Associated Press reported.
"It seems as if the court wanted to ignore the role of Christianity in forming Europe's identity, which was and remains essential."
He told Italian TV: "The crucifix has always been a sign of God's love, unity and hospitality to all humanity.
"It is unpleasant that it is considered a sign of division, exclusion or a restriction of freedom."
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The government says it will appeal against the decision.
Well, at least little Jewish and Muslim kiddies won't have to stare at "the sign of God's love, unity and hospitality" represented by a guy dying nailed to a couple of boards all day.
Good grief . . . .
H/T Penny
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