The German court dismissed 19 December, a suit against Kreuzerlaß (the decree on the cross), which requires the display of Christian crosses in public institutions throughout the Catholic state of Bavaria.
Decree, signed in 2018 by the Prime Minister of the Free State of Bavaria Markus Södera (CSU)) states: ‘Cross must be clearly visible at the entrance to each service building as an expression of Bavaria's historical and cultural identity’.
The ruling of the national Administrative Court in Leipzig came after a suit filed by the Association for Freedom of thought in Munich. An organization that presents itself as an "ideological community based on the principles of enlightenment and humanism" claimed that the decree violates the right to spiritual freedom.
The decision of the court retained the judgement of the state administrative court of the lower instance which it ruled, that the crosses (a) do not violate the rule of spiritual and ideological neutrality, as the states are not obliged to quit their spiritual references completely, and (b) do not discriminate against anyone due to his faith.
The placement of crosses "in the entrance zones of public buildings does not prevent the state's openness to another religions and worldviews," the ultimate Court judges explained in their ruling.
"Exposed crosses constitute a central symbol of Christian religion for an nonsubjective observer. However, they do not affect the warrant of freedom of the grounds referred to in Article 4(1) and (2) of the Basic Act," the court stated.
In a comment given by the German Press Agency (DPA) in Munich, Söder praised the decision of the court, saying: ”The cross is simply a sign of our Christian and cultural character. It belongs to Bavaria’.
The words of the chief of CSU were repeated The Secretary-General, president of the organization parliamentary group in the Bavarian Land Parliament, who said:
"Bavaria is simply a country of diversity, tolerance and, of course, freedom of religion, but Bavaria is besides a country shaped by Christianity and it is right for the Free State to express it as a cross."
We should say "so to our values and so to the Christian-western nature of our country," said Holetshek.
Archbishop of Bamberg Herwig Gössl He besides expressed his approval for the ultimate Court verdict. “Cross is simply a symbol of our Christian culture and symbolizes peace, freedom and reconciliation. Therefore, I am glad erstwhile the sign of the cross – in nature, surviving rooms and even in authoritative buildings – points to Christian values and reminds us of our work to God," he said.
Despite the judgement of the Leipzig court, the president of the Freedom of thought Association, Assunta Tammeleo, remains determined to remove crosses. He says the organization plans to bring the case to the national Constitutional Court in Karlsruhe. – This is not the end – Tammeleo insisted.
For: European Conservative (Hungary)
