Italy: Constitutional Court upholds crucifix in schools

On December 15, the Constitutional Court of Italy decided not to call into question the presence of the Crucifix in public schools. The judges did not give a verdict on the substance (is the Crucifix compatible with the secularity of the Italian state?), and judged only the submitted request as inadmissible. In Italy, two decrees which date back to the 1920s and confirmed in a law of 1984, authorize the presence of Catholic symbols in schools and stipulate that the crucifix is compatible with the secularity of the State

 The affair had been taken before the Court by the administrative Tribunal of Venice, submitted by a mother of Finnish origin, belonging to the free thinkers, living near to Padua. The latter contested the fact that the school attended by her son, at Abano Terme, had a religious symbol on the wall. In making their decision, the Constitutional Court wanted to avoid rekindling the passions which were aroused at the end of 2003 when a parent of a Muslim pupil, Adel Smith secured through the courts, the removal of a crucifix from his son’s school at Ofena, near to Aquila. The decision was immediately quashed, in the face of a national outcry provoked by the affair.