Swiss Bishops oppose removal of crucifix

(December 07,2010) :The bishops of Switzerland have expressed their concern over the strong hostility against the presence of religious signs in public places, and said that banning the crucifix will never be an expression of tolerance, but of intolerance, as it impedes public expression of the Christian faith. The Swiss Bishops’ Conference made this statement in the final official communiqué of the 290th ordinary assembly held in Viege last week, in which they also expressed their solidarity with Christians persecuted in the Middle East.
The episcopal conference stressed that liberty of beliefs and conscience is a precious good that every religious community and every state must respect, and that liberty enables men to live, individually or in the community of their choice, in keeping with their belief and conscience -- both in private as well as in public. From here stems the right to give witness and to live one's faith publicly through visible signs," stated the communiqué. The bishops also added that the majority of the population favours the public presence of Christian signs, such as the cross and the crucifix, because they recognize that it's not defending old privileges, but that through the disappearance of these signs, the risk is run of compromising the Christian foundations of our society. The Episcopal conference also stated that "the liberty of beliefs and of conscience is guaranteed only if the statements and signs of the different convictions are tolerated in a reciprocal way."