Mussolini did not introduce crucifixes in Italian classrooms

Barrister Neil Addison has brought our attention to an interesting detail in the discussion of the European Court of Human Rights ruling banning crucifixes from Italian classrooms.

He points out that many commentators and journalists have said that crucifxes in classrooms were legally introduced with the Lateran Treaties — agreements made between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy during Benito Mussolini’s Fascist regime.

The Guardian news story, for example, read: “Classroom crucifixes were made compulsory by two laws in the 1920s when Italy was a fascist state.”

Mr Addison said that he found, after reading an unofficial translation of the ECHR judgement,  that the “requirement was first made law in Piedmont Sardinia in 1860 and extended to the whole of Italy in 1861 following the unification of Italy which is 22 years before Mussolini was born”.

He said: ” Italian Classrooms have been displaying crucifixes for 148 years and the requirement existed during the period 1861 – 1929 when the Papacy did not even recognise the legitimacy of the Italian State.”

Could the Italian ruling mean no nativity plays in Britain this year?

Barrister Neil Addison has written extensively about the European Court of Human Rights ruling on the crucifix over on his blog. He believes that the ruling may have implications for Britain.

Leaving only empty Halloween pumpkins behind

As the reaction to the European Court of Human Rights ruling about crucifixes in state school classrooms yesterday continues to roll out, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Vatican’s Secretary of State said the ruling was leaving Europe behind with nothing more left of its Christian patrimony  than empty Halloween pumpkins.

He said: “I say unfortunately Europe of the third millenium allows us only to keep the pumpkins left over from recent revelry before November 1st while taking more valuable symbols away from us.”

The Halloween custom of lighting Jack-o-Lanterns has spread across Europe as has the custom of wearing costumes, while the following two days, All Saints and All Souls are fading in public consciousness.

Italians, except for those on the far left, have rallied to defend the patrimony and the tradition which keeps crucifixes in classrooms. From the Vaticanista Andrea Tornielli, who writes that Europe has voted for Barabas by denying its Christian roots, to the leader of the main left-wing opposition party Pierluigi Bersani, Italians have defied the ruling. They say that it represents the tradition, culture and history of Italy.