| Author (Person) | Rocha, Frederico |
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| Publisher | Cardiff EDC |
| Publication Date | 02/11/2017 |
| Content Type | News |
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Further information: The decision followed a legal drive launched by a local citizens group to remove the cross citing a French law which enforces the secular nature of public spaces. The matter was taken to court following a refusal by the town's mayor. Fierce criticism arose from heavily Roman Catholic Poland, where the Polish-born saint is widely revered and religious symbols are not restricted by law. The country's Prime Minister Beata Szydlo offered to move the statue to Poland to 'save it from censorship', calling the former Pope 'a great European' symbolising a 'united Christian Europe'. Ms Szydlo added that 'the dictate of the political correctness - the secularisation of the state - opens the door to values that are culturally alien to us and that lead to Europeans being terrorised in their daily lives'. The court’s decision also drew protests from representatives of the Roman Catholic church in France. A decision from France's top administrative court in October 2017 giving the town of Ploermel six months to remove the cross above a statue of Pope John Paul II in a public square sparked heavy criticism in Poland. |
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| Subject Categories | Values and Beliefs |
| Countries / Regions | France, Poland |
