Vienna: Austrian Bishop Hermann Glettler against the attempt to change the crucifix from classrooms. The student parliament of the Austrian state of Tyrol has sent a letter to the state administration demanding the removal of religious symbols from classrooms. He came out as the archbishop of Innsbruck by publicly expressing his disagreement with this.
The bishop pointed out that the cross is a symbol deeply inscribed in Austria’s culture as a sign of faith and hope. ‘The outstretched arms of the crucifix are a sign of God offering his blessing and care to all. Moreover, the crucifix is also an expression of the basic Christian conviction that the Savior gave His life to overcome the worst time of hatred and vengeance.’
The cross is a reliable sign that reconciliation is possible and that love is stronger than any hatred. In any situation, no matter how hopeless it may be, there will be a new beginning on the cross, the true symbol of God’s love. It is not a symbol of the victors, but a heartwarming sign of solidarity that binds all the downtrodden, humiliated and defeated. He also exhorted that the cross is a bridge of hope between earth and heaven in moments of difficulty.
