Letter: Still on crucifixes ban

Tue, 11/17/2009 1:18 PM  |  Reader's Forum

Regarding the ban of crucifixes by European Court bans in Italian public schools, I wish to express my disappointment with the European Court of Human Rights for ruling that crucifixes should be removed from Italian public schools.

The crucifix is the sign of the Passion, but at the same time it is a sign of the Resurrection. It is, so to speak, the saving staff the God holds out to us, the bridge by which we can pass over the abyss of death, and all the threats of the Evil One, and reach God.

In the crucifix the whole essence of Christianity is summed up; it displays what is distinctively Christian. It is also a symbol of universal love. 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.

The realities believed in and hoped for are read into this visible image, but the image is more than a mere reflection; it is in fact an image in whose saving power one places one's hope.

The most basic Christian gesture in prayer is and always will be the sign of the Cross. It is a way of confessing that Christ was crucified with one's very body.

It is a visible and public Yes to Him who suffered for us. It is a confession of faith, a confession of hope.

Paul Kokoski
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada

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