The Debate on the Crucifix in Public Spaces in Twenty-First Century Italy

Abstract

Although the presence of the crucifix in public classrooms and other public offices is an ancient Italian tradition, it was never a political issue until recent times. In the early 2000s, some court cases and other events (first at the national and later also at the European level) turned the public display of the crucifix into a major issue in the national political debate. This article analyses the frames used by social and political actors in the different phases of this debate, in order to understand its evolution and its connection to the broader discussion on values in the public sphere developed in Italy in recent times.

Do Not Cross the Line: The State Influence on Religious Education

“…As Giorda (2015, 78) has argued, religious diversity at school challenges the current status of State-religion regime in Italy, and it sheds light on its complexities. This complexity is also reflected in the structure of the legal regimes regulating other important aspects such as the role of faith-based schools, the presence of religious symbols in public schools (see, Annicchino 2010; 2011; Ozzano and Giorgi 2013), the role of anti-discrimination laws, and the reasonable accommodation of religious dietary requirements. These issues have been, and in many cases still are, important frames for the mobilization of several actors contesting the relevance of embracing diversity or the perceived need to protect Italian identity and culture.…”

“…Only two cases have so far been presented to the ECtHR against Italy in relation to religion and education: the Lautsi and the Lombardi Vallauri 1 cases. While the second has been mostly neglected by the Italian public sphere, 2 Lautsi has been the object of an extensive and lively discussion (Annicchino 2010; 2011; 2013; Follesdal 2017; Ozzano and Giorgi 2013; Temperman 2012). In Italy apart from these two cases, however, no other cases have been filed on the topic of religious freedom in the education field — despite the fact that many of the actors involved in the field of religion and education describe the Italian situation as “discriminatory.”…”