Regarding the article entitled “Malta supports Italy in ‘Crucifix case” (TMID, 3 June), I commend Malta for supporting crucifixes in Italian classrooms.

The crucifix is the sign of the Passion, and at the same time is a sign of the Resurrection. It is, so to speak, the saving staff that God holds out to us, the bridge by which we can pass over the abyss of death, and all the threats of the Evil One, and reach God.

In the crucifix the whole essence of Christianity is summed up; it displays what is distinctively Christian. It is also a symbol of universal love. The crucifix does not lead to any discrimination. Indeed it is the image of the Christian revolution that has spread the idea of equality between all men all over the world. The realities believed in and hoped for are read into this visible image, but the image is more than a mere reflection, it is in fact an image in whose saving power one places one’s hopes.

The most basic Christian gesture in prayer is and always will be the sign of the Cross. It is a way of confessing Christ crucified with one’s very body. It is a visible and public Yes to Him who suffered for us. It is a confession of faith, a confession of hope.

Let us fight to keep our religious signs and symbols from the atheistic clutches of Big Brother in this Orwellian age.

Paul Kokoski

ONTARIO

CANADA