'Illogical' to ban religious symbols from public places - bishops

The bishops of Malta and Gozo said today that it would be 'illogical' to prohibit religious symbols such as the Cross from public places when society has grown conscious of the right to religious freedom.

"The display of the Cross in public places does not impose a religion: in our tradition, the cross is a symbol and expression of the highest altruism and generosity, and of the deepest solidarity offered to all," the bishops said in a statement.

They welcomed the fact that Malta and other countries had joined Italy in its appeal to a European Court of Human Rights judgment that Italy should remove all crosses from public places.

 

"It is with satisfaction that we note that Malta's intervention was made with the joint approval of the Prime Minister and the Leader of the Opposition," the bishops said.

They noted that that occasion the Prime Minister said that, "on a point of principle, we insist that a country which has upheld particular values and traditions for centuries should not be obliged to change them just because an individual objects to them. Indeed, the social and cultural characteristics of society should be respected for as long as the people of such a society so decide. A court which decides otherwise will not be showing sensitivity to such aspects and will be taking a wrong path".

The bishops said that they endorsed this position.

"In this way we, as a nation, would be contributing our share in public life so that Europe does not lose its Christian roots because, as Pope John Paul II had stated: "Europe's history would be incomprehensible without reference to the events which marked the great period of evangelisation and then the long centuries in which Christianity, despite the painful division between East and West, came to be the religion of the European peoples"

We also feel that the spirit of dialogue which exists between different churches and religions should provide an excellent occasion so that the respective religious traditions are respected.

We furthermore exhort Christians to treasure the Cross as the sign of humanity's redemption by Christ. We encourage them to bear witness to their faith by taking up the cross and following Jesus.

© http://www.timesofmalta.com/ - 19th june 2010
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From © SIR press - june, 21th 2010

CRUCIFIX: POLISH BISHOPS, “IN MEN’S CONSCIENCES AND PUBLIC SPACES”
“Societies of Christian tradition should not be afraid of displaying the crucifix in public places, such as the places where children and young people study. The cross reminds us of who we are and where we are going. It speaks of God’s love for man which found its deepest expression precisely in the cross”. At the end of the 352nd plenary session of the Polish Bishops Conference (Kep), the Polish bishops went into the details of the issue of the crucifix displayed in public places after Italy’s appeal to the Court of Strasbourg. According to Kep, “the crucifix must stay in schools, hospitals and offices”, because “the independence of the religious sphere from the lay sphere must be respected in relations between different countries and EU institutions as well”, while “dialogue between religions and people with different view of the world can continue only if respectful of religious freedom, peoples and nations”. The Church, the bishops conclude, “cannot give up the cross that is in men’s consciences and in public spaces”, in the hope that “this belief may be universally respected” and “the EU institutions, in a spirit of religious freedom, give the member states full independence in the organisation of their public spaces”.

CRUCIFIX: RUSSIAN BISHOPS, “A SIGN OF EUROPE’S SPIRITUAL HERITAGFE”
The Catholic Bishops of Russia remind Europe of what it means not to let traditional religious symbols be displayed. They do that in a notice published in the run-up to the ruling of the European Court of Human Rights. “We are aware – writes mgr. Joseph Werth, president of the Conference of Russian Catholic Bishops – of the situation of religious freedom and pluralism in Europe. However, such religious symbols as the cross are a sign not only of Christian religion but also one of the most important traits of European identity”. Then, speaking of the recent history of the country, the Bishops writes: “We know very well what it means to display traditional religious symbols. During the Communist government in Russia, many believers were persecuted and society went into moral craziness. We believe that the presence of the cross and other Christian religious symbols does not mean a preference for Christian confessions. The right to religious freedom does not rule out the deliberate acceptance or the keeping of traditional Christian symbols in several European countries, because of their high social value”. The Russian Bishops wish “pluralism and conscientious freedom will not involve any restriction on the rights of those who wish to live in accordance with the spiritual and cultural heritage of our continent”.

CRUCIFIX: HUNGARIAN BISHOPS, A SYMBOL OF SALVATION AND FREEDOM FOR EVERYBODY
The appeal to the European Court of Strasbourg on the display of religious symbols in public places is also supported by the Hungarian Bishops. Card. Péter Erdõ, archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest and president of the Hungarian Bishops Conference, writes in a release: “The presence of Christian religious symbols, in particular that of the cross, which reflects the religious feeling of Christians of an denominations, has no intention of excluding anyone, but expresses a tradition which everyone knows and recognizes on account of its high value and role as a catalyst of dialogue with every person of good will and a support for the suffering and for those in need, without distinction of faith, ethnicity or nationality.”. “In the Christian culture and religious tradition, the cross manifests the common salvation and freedom of humanity. It does not impose a religion, but expresses the highest altruism and generosity, and the deepest solidarity offered to all”, explains card. Erdõ. “Consequently, societies of Christian tradition should not refuse the public display of their religious symbols, particularly in places where their children are educated; otherwise those societies would fail to transmit to future generations their own identity and values. They would be societies that contradict themselves and reject the living spiritual and cultural heritage in which they find their roots and openness to the future.” Hence the appeal, that in Europe “religious symbols are allowed by law or by spontaneous acceptance.”

CRUCIFIX: BISHOPS OF SLOVAKIA, “IT DOESN’T EXCLUDE ANYONE”
“The display of Christian religious symbols, especially the Cross, which reflect the religious feeling of Christians of every denomination, does not exclude anyone”. This was stated in a release published today by the Bishops of Slovakia, who thus take position in the run-up to the ruling (30th June) of the European Court of Human Rights on the ‘display of Christian religious symbols in public schools’. The Crucifix, it reads, “expresses a tradition that everyone knows and recognises in its high spiritual value and as a sign of an identity open to dialogue, of support to the needy and suffering, with no distinction of faith, ethnic group or nationality. “In Christian culture – the Slovakian prelates claim –, the Cross expresses collective salvation and the freedom of people. It does not translate into an imposition of religion but expresses supreme altruism and great generosity and calls one to solidarity with everyone”. Because of this, “societies with a Christian tradition should not refuse the public display of religious symbols, especially in public schools, otherwise this will undermine their ability to raise in the future generations the awareness of their own values and their own identity”. A similar position had been taken in December 2009 by the National Council of the Republic of Slovakia as well.