Court reverses itself on classroom crosses

Admin Mon 21 Mar 2011, 6:44 pm

Court reverses itself on classroom crosses
STRASBOURG, France (UPI) -- The European Court of Human Rights has reversed itself, ruling this week that crucifixes and other religious symbols can be displayed in state schools.

The court made the opposite decision in 2009.

The judges unanimously agreed with Soile Lautsi, a Finnish-born woman living in Italy, who objected to Catholic symbols hanging in her children's classrooms.

Several European governments objected strongly to the 2009 decision. Given the outcry, the court decided on a rehearing with a full chamber of 17 judges.

In its ruling, the court said European states have wide latitude to make their own decisions on schools, as long as they do not trample individual rights. In a religious context, this means state schools must avoid "indoctrination."

The court called the crucifix "an essentially passive symbol whose influence on pupils was not comparable to that of didactic speech or participation in religious activities." It noted Lautsi did not complain of that teachers had tried to indoctrinate her children or force religious education on them.

Franco Frattini, the Italian foreign minister, said the new ruling reflects "popular sentiment in Europe."

Copyright 2011 by United Press International