Association in favor of crucifixes in schools to march on St. Peter's square

Vatican City, Nov 26, 2009 / 12:05 pm

This Sunday, an Association called "Piccola Chiesa" a Movement for Family Love, is planning a march on St. Peter's square in Rome in protest of the recent European legislation barring the crucifix from being displayed in Italian public schools.  The event is being organized as a way to reaffirm the crucifix as "a sign of faith and universal fraternity and a symbol of Italian, and European, art and culture."

The Roman diocesan newspaper, Roma Sette, has announced that the initiative is being carried out to show support for "the love of the cross."  Members of the group will be walking across the heart of Rome to the Vatican doorstep in protest of legislation passed by the EU Human Rights Court on November 3rd of this year. 

Italian national Soile Lautsi originally took the issue to the Strasbourg-based court saying that crucifixes in classrooms infringed on her right to give her kids a secular education.  Widespread debate has swept the country since the court ruled in her favor.

Among the most popular arguments against the measure is that it removes a an important part of the 'Italian identity.' 

The march will begin nearly a mile from St. Peter's at the Church of Santa Maria of Vallicella and will have protesters arriving at the square in time to participate in Pope Benedict XVI's Angelus.