Spain Moves To Ban Crucifixes In Schools

12/5/09-by Paula Brooks crucifix-school
Already at odds with the Roman Catholic Church over such issues as gay rights and the liberalization of that country’s abortion laws, this week, the Spanish Socialist government of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, has taken the first step towards banning crucifixes in Spain’s Public schools.

This move comes in the wake of a ruling last month by the European Court of Human Rights judgment against Italy that said displaying the Christian symbol violates children’s right to freedom of religion.

Three years ago, an Italian mother, Soile Lautsi, took her cause to the European Court of Human Rights after failing to get crucifixes removed from the school at which her two children were being taught at a town in north-east Italy by Italy’s Constitutional Court.

Classroom crucifixes were made compulsory in that country by two laws put into place under Italy’s fascist Dictator Benito Mussolini that made Catholicism the official religion of Italy.

Similar laws were also put in place in Spain under Spain’s fascist Dictator Francisco Franco. Under Franco, Catholicism in its most conservative variant was made official religion of the Spanish State. The Spanish Public Education was essentially handed over to the Church, Civil servants had to be Catholic, and some official jobs even required a “good behavior” statement by a priest. Divorce and homosexuality were also forbidden, as were artificial contraception and abortion.

The verdict prompted anger in fiercely Catholic Italy, where an opinion poll showed 84 percent of the public was in favor of crucifixes in schools, and was condemned by the Vatican. The Italian government has also said it would seek to appeal the decision to the Strasbourg court’s 17-member Grand Chamber, however if that petition is rejected, or if an appeal is subsequently thrown out, then Italy would be obliged to comply with the courts order.

The European Court ruling prompted Spain’s ruling Socialists to take action Wednesday and a Spanish parliamentary commission approved by 20 votes to 16 a motion calling on Madrid to implement November’s ruling by the Strasbourg court.

Some observers however are saying that the Spanish Government actions to remove the crucifixes are part of a larger conflict between Spain’s current government and the Roman Catholic Church.

Last month after the Spanish Parliament passed a bill that will allow abortion until the 14th week of pregnancy and, in cases of extreme fetal deformity, at any time during pregnancy, the Catholic Church announced it will excommunicate Spanish law makers who voted in favor of the bill.

That call prompted several Spanish Socialist politicians and political commentators to push back and call for an end of the Catholic Churches Tax Exempt status.

Many in Spain say the rapidity with which by the Spanish government acted on the issue and its willingness to implement the ECHR’s ruling even before the final outcome of the Italian appeal is known, is a not so subtle warning to the Vatican to stay out of Spanish politics.