March 22, 2011: European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg ruled on Friday (March 18) that the display of crucifixes in Italian public school classrooms was not a violation of an individual's human rights or the freedom of conscience of non-Christians. On Italy's appeal the court overturned a ruling made in November 2009. The earlier decision was the result of a case filed by a Finnish mother living in Italy and her two sons. The woman was a unbeliever who said that the display of religious symbols in classrooms violated her family's human rights.

The court's decision was praised by Italian foreign minister Franco Frattini, who had earlier described the case as "a major battle for freedom of faith" so that believers won't need to hide "in catacombs." When the 2009 decision was announced, Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi said "you only have to walk 200 meters forwards, backwards, to the right or to the left and you find a symbol of Christianity. This is one of those decisions that often make us doubt Europe's good sense." The Italian government promptly appealed the decision.

The Vatican also welcomed the court's decision. Prior to the successful appeal, Vatican official Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone remarked that "Europe in the third millennium is leaving us only Halloween pumpkins while depriving us of our most beloved symbols."

The Italian crucifix case was not only important for Italy. For the first time in the history of the European Court of Human Rights, ten member states from the Council of Europe, the human rights body that founded the ECHR, had filed briefs supporting Italy's appeal. In attendance to hear the court render its decision were Italian officials and representatives of the ten supporting countries: Armenia, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece, Lithuania, Malta, Monaco, Romania, Russia and San Marino. The court also allowed written petitions to be submitted by ten non-governmental organizations, including Human Rights Watch, Interrights, the Italian Christian Workers Association and the Central Committee of German Catholics.

The ECHR ruling indirectly appears to confirm Europe's Christian roots. The 2009 court decision came only two weeks after Pope Benedict had called upon Europeans not to forget Europe's Christian roots. The Italian government and the other nations that supported the appeal had urged the court to respect the national identities and dominant religious traditions of each of the 47 member states that are party to the ECHR convention. In Europe those religious traditions are Christian.