Yesterday morning a giant crucifix was placed on the façade of the Bellini theatre in Catania. The decision was made by superintendent Antonio Fiumefreddo after the European Court for Human Rights in Strasburg decided that the presence of crucifixes in schools represents a “violation for parents to educate their children following their beliefs” and a violation “of the religion freedom of students”.

“The decision of the Strasburg Court offends the millenary identity of Christians and harms the history of tolerance and freedom of Europe – said Fiumefreddo – and a society is really free if everyone has the right to express his ideas and it is not free when law obliges you to hide. So we decided to protest against this decision by place on the façade of the Bellini theatre in Catania a giant crucifix because – explained the superintendent – we do not want to hide our faith but we want to be proud of it. There is no dialogue if you have to renounce”.

Translated by Chiara Nunnari from John Milton Institute