Rome, Italy – The highest Italian court reversed the conviction today of a judge who refuses to enter courtrooms where a crucifix is hanging.
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Judge Luigi Tosti is Jewish but he says his main objection to the crosses is that they violate the separation of church and state, mandated by the Italian constitution adopted after World War II.
The supreme judicial court sentenced Tosti to seven months in jail in 2007. During the appeal to the Supreme Court of Cassation, a prosecutor recommended sparing the judge prison but the court found that he had committed no crime and quashed his conviction.
Tosti is in the midst of a second suspension from the bench.
Italy neither requires nor bans crucifixes from the courtroom and from schools and other government buildings. Although Italians are overwhelmingly Roman Catholic, the church has had no special standing for decades.
In 2004, Tosti threatened to display a menorah in his courtroom. He changed his mind when Italian Muslims supported the plan.
Sorry, this guy is being ridiculous. Yes, there should be separation between church and state, but come on! What would you say if a Christian judge refused to enter the courtroom because of a Jewish star hanging on the wall? Anti-semitism etc etc. It probably shouldn’t be there ideally but it’s not worth causing a scene over.
“He changed his mind when Italian Muslims supported the plan”
I like (-:
# 2, I know about the saying, when in Rome, but this is a cross we are talking about.
This guy has more guts than Lookstein!
He should just quit being a judge if he doesn’t like the decor. I mean you can’t not wear the silly black robes in america!
Remember that Rabban Gamliel used to go to a bath house where there was an idol on display.
Why is it not possible to cover it before coming in?
Here’s something. I know of very frum people who go to Jesuit schools for their master’s/other professional degrees. While I don’t know the current situation, but I do know years ago Seton Hall (and I think Fordham) had crosses with Yashker on them.
It’s a school, not a church. Just like this is a courtroom, not a church. Honestly it doesn’t bother me. Oh by the way, the frum guys I knew that went to Seton Hall or Fordham are rabbeim. They wore their kippot to class and the professors were very cordial to them
And what if you were hospitalized in a Catholic hospital and there was a crucifix over every bed in every room. What would you do then?
My sister had to have her first baby in a catholic hospital, we tried to remove the avoda zara, but it was bolted to the wall. We had to cover it up with a shmatta instead. How would you feel if the first thing you saw was a naked little Jewish guy being horribly executed on the wall?
Good for him, he has guts.
If you are that machmir refuse admission to a Catholic Hospital. My wife once was admitted to a Catholic Hospital and one of the nuns provided candles so my wife can light candles erev shabbes. Italy is Catholic in its blood and bones and the separation of State and Church may work for goyim but not Jews. I lived in Italy from 1945 to 1950
This guy is being rediculous. If someone wouldn’t go into a church room because of the star of David then that would be considered anti-semitism. Can’t he just get over it.