Fr. Mark Hodges
RICHMOND, Virginia, October 23, 2017 (LifeSiteNews) — A U.S. appeals court has ordered the removal of a 1925 memorial honoring the dead from World War I because it is in the shape of a cross.
The U.S. Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals decided last week that the veterans monument, after holding a place of honor in the community for more than 90 years, is unconstitutional.
Set on a major thoroughfare just outside Washington, D.C., the monument does not depict, quote, or even mention Jesus. “It is merely its shape that the Humanists find offensive,” the Baltimore Sun explained.
The court overruled a lower district court that explained the monument’s purpose is not primarily religious and so it is constitutional.
“Today’s decision sets dangerous precedent by completely ignoring history, and it threatens removal and destruction of veteran memorials across America,” First Liberty Institute’s Hiram Sasser said.
The historic 40-foot “Peace Cross,” erected by the American Legion on July 13, 1925 to honor Bladensburg’s 49 fallen WWI soldiers, stood for 92 years as a gathering place for community Memorial Day and Veterans Day commemorations.
The Fourth Circuit, represented by a three-judge panel, determined
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