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Greek Orthodox Solidarity In Face Of Crucifix Ban

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  • Greek Orthodox Solidarity In Face Of Crucifix Ban

    GREEK ORTHODOX SOLIDARITY IN FACE OF CRUCIFIX BAN
    by Martin Barillas

    EnerPub
    http://www.energypublisher.com/a rticle.asp?id=22552
    Nov 13 2009

    The Greek Orthodox Church is urging Christians across Europe to oppose
    a ban on crucifixes in classrooms in Italy. The ban came as a result
    of a November 3 ruling by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR)
    in France that the presence of crucifixes violated a child's right
    to freedom of religion. The European Court of Human Rights found
    that the compulsory display of crucifixes violated parents' rights
    to educate their children as they saw fit and restricted the right of
    children to believe or not to believe. Immediately after the ruling,
    Vatican spokesman Rev. Federico Lombardi said the crucifix was a
    fundamental sign of the importance of religious values in Italian
    history and culture and was a symbol of unity and welcoming for all
    of humanity -- not one of exclusion.

    Perhaps fearing the Italian case could create a precedent, the Greek
    Orthodox Church will hold a Holy Synod next week to discuss possible
    actions.

    In opposing the crucifix ban in Italy, the Greek Orthodox Church joins
    in a rare act of ecumenism with the Roman Catholic Church. The two
    have been estranged for 1,000 years. The secular threat to Christian
    symbols and culture has apparently created common ground.

    Archbishop Ieronymos, leader of the Greek church, shares Catholic
    complaints that the court is ignoring the role of Christianity in
    forming Europe's identity. The archbishop said that majorities enjoy
    rights, just as minorities do. A colleague, Bishop Nicholas from
    central Greece, said without the religious icons young people will
    not have any worthy symbols to inspire and protect them. Celebrities
    and pop-tarts are poor substitutes, he added.

    The Greek Church has intervened in this case in response to an appeal
    by a Greek mother whose son is studying in Italy. But without doubt
    it is concerned that its omnipotence in Greece is under threat. The
    Muslim presence is growing in Greece, just as the memory fades of the
    genocide of Armenians and Greeks at the hands of the Ottoman Empire
    at the beginning of the 20th century.

    A human rights group called Helsinki Monitor has demanded that Greek
    courts remove icons of Jesus Christ from above the judge's bench and
    that the gospel no longer be used for swearing oaths in the witness
    box. Helsinki Monitor is urging labor unions to challenge the presence
    of religious symbols in Greek schools. The Socialist government in
    Greece is also considering imposing new taxes on the Church, even
    while it is asking for further expenditures of church resources to
    aid immigrants and the poor.

    Some experts fear that the decision by the ECHR could result in
    the removal of all public displays of Christian symbols in public
    buildings throughout the member countries of the European Union under
    provisions of the newly-passed Lisbon Treaty. The ruling effectively
    incorporates the European Convention on Human Rights into European
    law. According to legal expert Neil Addison of the UK, given the
    inter-relationship of the ECHR, the Lisbon Treat and the European
    Convention on Human Rights, "unless the European Court of Human Rights
    overrules itself on appeal, Italy, and indeed the rest of Europe,
    has a serious problem." If an appeal by Italy to the ECHR fails,
    Italy's only resort would be an unlikely separation from the EU as
    a whole. As it stands now, Italy must report back to the court as to
    its efforts to remove the offending religious imagery from its public
    classrooms, courts, and other public venues. A majority of Italian
    politicians has come out against the ruling, citing interference by
    the EU in Italy's millennial Christian culture.

    The Lisbon Treaty's Declaration 17 says clearly that the EU would have
    primacy over the laws of member states: "The Conference recalls that,
    in accordance with well settled case law of the Court of Justice of
    the European Union, the Treaties and the law adopted by the Union on
    the basis of the Treaties have primacy over the law of Member States,
    under the conditions laid down by the said case law." Some experts
    fear that the ECHR's decision could be used to prevent public schools
    from putting on Nativity plays, and bring about the removal of icons
    from Greek and Cypriot schools.

    Martin Barillas is a former US diplomat, who also worked as a democracy
    advocate and election observer in Latin America.

    From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress
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