Ruling against crucifixes is an attempt to 'eliminate the most beloved symbol,' says Cardinal Bertone

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Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone

Vatican City, Nov 4, 2009 / 01:54 pm (CNA).- Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said today that the ruling by the European Human Rights Court in Strasbourg, France ordering the removal of crucifixes from classrooms in Italy is “truly a loss” as it is necessary “to conserve the signs of our faith for those who believe as well as for those who do not.”

“This Europe of the third millennium has left us only with the pumpkins of the recently celebrated feast and has eliminated the most beloved symbols.”

After voicing his support for the Italian government’s decision to appeal the ruling, Cardinal Bertone stressed that the crucifix “is the symbol of universal love, a symbol of welcome and not exclusion.”

“I wonder if this ruling is a sign of rationality or not,” he questioned.

It its edition today, L’Osservatore Romano (LOR) recalled statements made on March 22, 1988, by Natalia Ginzbug, published in l’Unita, the newspaper founded by Communist party member Antonio Gramsci, who said, “The crucifix does not lead to any discrimination. It is the image of the Christian revolution which has spread the idea of equality between all men all over the world.”

“More than twenty years later,” LOR reported, “these words express a sentiment that is still widely shared in Italy.” “The political world has almost unanimously testified to the lack of common sense in this ruling, reiterating that the secularization of institutions is a value quite distinct from the denial of the role of Christianity,” the paper stated.

After emphasizing that in 2006 the Italian government ruled it was lawful to have crucifixes in the classroom, LOR said that the EU court’s ruling is part of a tendency towards a “not-too-distant future of public places without religious or cultural references out of fear of offending the sensibilities of others.”

The Vatican newspaper said the State should be accepting and respectful different identities rather than denying them.

Comments: 15

Subscriber comments:

Published by: Brian Westley
USA 11/07/2009 02:38 PM EST

"How about this, Brian: Each individual school does whatever the heck it wants - free from government interference" Sorry, state schools ARE the government. And "schools" don't want to do anything, they are just inanimate buildings. School officials may want to impose their religious beliefs on other people's children that are in their care, but what sane person would want that? "Privatise the whole lot and have the state offer to pay the child's costs." Well, until your libertarian utopia comes, people need to deal with what the situation is now. State schools have no business pushing religion on other people's children.

Published by: Darlene
Canada 11/05/2009 04:33 PM EST

Canadians and Americans better look in their own backyards. Satan is growing stronger. Catholic Hospitals were given by the Religious Sister of St. Josseph's Hospitallers in our City and the week after all Crucifixes were removed by Our Pastoral Team as dictated by Admin. Abortion, Homosexuality, now the push is on in our governments for Euthanasia. We need to pray harder and fast alot more.Please purchase Miraculous Medals have them Blessed and bury them in the government grounds, church grounds, and everywhere evil is happening. Our Blessed mother has a direct line to her son and our Saviour. Her prayers are very powerful and I have been witness to the closure of a porn shop, and the birth of a baby that was n3ever to be conceived, among many others. Faith and prayer. In Jesus Name we Thank He who is our Creator. Darlene

Published by: Rory Flick
California 11/05/2009 03:42 PM EST

Nazis in Austria ordered all crucifixes removed from hospitals and a nun was executed as an enemy of the state for refusing. Remember history people! ReadHistory! This is one of the first things that happens in communism and naziism. Anti-christian governments are exactly that. Anti-Christ.

Published by: Dan
Santa Fe 11/05/2009 08:04 AM EST

Assuming these are public schools I would expect this ruling from the EU court. Ridding symbols of Christianity from the marketplace is their initial goal. We should fight them, but we should expect to lose as true Christians 'disappear' from or become 'invisable' to secular society. Christain symbols, speech, thought will not be tolerated.

Published by: H.j.D'cruz
Karachi 11/05/2009 05:23 AM EST

The Dajjal (The Anti- Christ) are getting an opportunity to take over Europe.This next step will be to remonve crosses/ crucifixes from Churches,Graves, in houses and other place of the christian faith.This is encouraging minority religion to rise up and take over.

Published by: John
England 11/05/2009 04:22 AM EST

How about this, Brian: Each individual school does whatever the heck it wants - free from government interference and oppression! If a school wants crucifixies, it'll have crucifixies; if it doesn't want them, it doesn't have them. This is the problem with state-run schools - the government is involved. Privatise the whole lot and have the state offer to pay the child's costs. That way, everyone still has their education and the government (or EU superstate) cannot interfer with its totalitarian rules and dumbing-down of education standards.

Published by: Nicolay Georgiev
Sofia / Bulgaria 11/05/2009 03:39 AM EST

Cross should be in the heart, not the wall! Decoration with crosses and hanged them on the walls does not change the man!

Published by: Flora
Seychelles 11/05/2009 12:17 AM EST

We all have our own belief, and that does not mean that we have the right to tarnish others' beliefs. The EU have no rights whatsoever to impose on christian. This is definitelythe work of Satan, cause only he does abominable things like that. Now is the time for us christian to show them how powerful our prayers are and that GOD will always come out as victorious.

Published by: Brian Westley
St. Paul, MN 11/04/2009 10:15 PM EST

"The Nazi's wouldn't allow crucifixes either,not for entirely the same reason but the same result." You've got it completely backwards. The law in Italy requiring schools to put up crucifixes was passed by Benito Mussolini in the 1920s. Real religious freedom requires equal treatment by the state; when the state promotes one religion over others, you don't have religious freedom.

Published by: Sigurður Ragnarsson
Iceland 11/04/2009 09:31 PM EST

The European Court of Human Rights is a body of the Council of Europe, another of which is its Parliamentary Assembly, which has in recent years been pressing for such “unconditional rights” as abortion and homosexual indoctrination. The ban on crucifixes hardly comes as a surprise. And the lions will presumably have to be fed again...

Published by: Robert
Steubenville/Ohio/USA 11/04/2009 05:17 PM EST

The Nazi's wouldn't allow crucifixes either,not for entirely the same reason but the same result.

Published by: Diane
Edmonton 11/04/2009 03:03 PM EST

Stand up Italy and fight this! May God bless and protect Italy forever and ever!

Published by: Ron Giles
Valrico, Fl 11/04/2009 02:46 PM EST

I don't believe that the EU court's ruling should be abided by any country. Each country should dictate their own standards and maintain their own cultural history and identity. When the EU court establishes rulings that are contrary to the needs of any country, for the sake of a few, then it has exceeded its authority.

Published by: GEORGE
SYDNEY 11/04/2009 02:45 PM EST

Make no mistake about it_ the ruling by the Strasbourg court is the tip of the iceberg. It should not only be appealed, but it should also be defied. Later on there will be objections to the cross at the top of churches, crosses in Christian cemetries etc. When the European Union rejected its Christian heritage and traditions it automatically created a vacuum which will be filled up by others.

Published by: Francis
Wareham Ma 11/04/2009 02:29 PM EST

"The European Human Rights Court in Strasburg, Germany" The secular, Christophobic, Anti Christian forces come in all names and countries! Satan is definitely leading his minions here on earth to try to destroy Our Lord, his followers, and his Catholic Church. Of Course he won't succeed, but alot of true, faithful Catholics might have to endure martyrdom in the meantime.

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