Letters

Crucifixes

Arnold Jago

Contents - Feb 2010 - Buy a copy now Editorial: A new decade but the same challenges remain - Michael Gilchrist St Mary Mackillop: Canonisation: about holiness, not miracles - Fr Paul Gardiner SJ News: The Church Around the World Preparation time: New Missal translation nears completion: a window of opportunity - Michael Gilchrist Letters: New priests for the Sydney Archdiocese - Fr Michael De Stoop Climate change: which Catholic response? - William Kininmonth Priest denounces 'deniers' of man-made climate change - Michael Gilchrist Catholic Culture: 'A small brave initiative': Campion College's second graduation - Br Barry Coldrey Indian martyrs: Present-day martyrs in India and Pakistan - Babette Francis Foundations of Faith: Celebrating the Eucharist during the early Christian centuries - Br Barry Coldrey Letters: Climate change - Ron Blackstock Letters: World government - Emidio Restall Letters: Climate change: facts - J. Holder Letters: Overpopulation - George Simpson Letters: Green religion - Deric Davidson Letters: Vale Brian Mullins - Ken Bayliss Letters: Faith alone - Rex Dale Letters: Greetings from India - Fr S. John Joseph PP, VF Letters: Crucifixes - Arnold Jago Books: FIRES OF FAITH: Catholic England Under Mary Tudor, by Eamonn Duffy - Bishop Peter J. Elliott (reviewer) Books: SECULAR SABOTAGE, by Bill Donahue - Fr Martin Durham (reviewer) Books: Order books from www.freedompublishing.com.au Reflection: Accepting the reality of death: Christ's message of hope and consolation - Andrew Kania

Late last year the people of Switzerland voted for a ban on the building of minarets in their country.

Now the people of Italy are ignoring a European Court of Human Rights decision requiring crucifixes to be removed from all Italian classrooms. The country appears to have 'clenched itself like a fist' to oppose the decision (www.livejournal.com, 24 November 2009).

Many mayors have passed ordinanze (town laws) that require the placing of a crucifix in every classroom. Some have been sending the Carabinieri around to check that every classroom has its little crucified Christ on display.

One high school teacher who tried to remove the image from his classroom faced a classroom revolt. When he threw the crucifix into his dustbin, one student reported him to the headmaster, who inflicted ten days of unpaid leave on him.

Most of the crucifixes in public places in Italy are small and unobtrusive. But they mean a lot.

ARNOLD JAGO (DR)
Mildura, Vic

Reprinted from AD2000 Vol 23 No 1 (February 2010), p. 16