Warsaw
(www.kath.net/ KNA) In a conflict surrounding the crucifix in the Polish Parliament has yielded a victor on the part of those favoring it. As the Chancellery of the Sejm (Lower House)reported this Friday, all four advisory opinions concerning the removal of the crucifix from the assembly hall were found to have no legal ground by the Parliament's President, Ewa Kopacz. A press speaker from the Chancellery told the Catholic News Agency (KNA)that Kobacz will decide the proposal of the anti-clerical "Palikot" movement in the forthcoming week.
The Party, which won ten percent of the votes in the elections in October, demand the banning of the Christian symbol from the assembly hall. The cross behind the speaker's chair infringes against the state's "impartiality" in religious matters. Since the the installation of the cross by two delegates 14 years ago, there has been a "permanent state of lawlessness", it says in the proposal.
The legal experts of the University of Warsaw and Torun, the Catholic University of Lublin and the Polish Academy of Science who were consulted found, that the crucifix neither infringes on the Constitution nor against European law. Roman Wieruszewski of the Academy of Science maintains the cross exercises "no influence". It also constitutes no discrimination, because an initiative for another symbol has not been rejected. Ryszard Piotrowski of the University of Warsaw views the cross as a "source of identity for the Polish Nation."
Ministerial President Donald Tusk showed himself to be pleased about the findings of the panel. He hopes that the political conflict over the cross will come to an end. In a presentation of his government program he had closely associated himself with the cross. Ann appeal of the proposal by "Palikot-movement" is not foreseen.
Besides the "Palikot"- Party there is also the opposition Party of the Social Democrats and the only left State President, Alexander Kwasniewski for the removal of the cross. The Conservative-Liberal Government Coalition and the Right-Conservative Party, Law and Justice, on the other hand, desire that it stays. The "Palikot-movement" has declared that in case of a rejection of their proposal in the constitutional court, and if necessary, they will bring it before the Court of Human Rights in Strassburg.
(C) 2011 KNA Katholische Nachrichten-Agentur GmbH.
Link to kath.net...
