A ffederal appeals court ruled Wednesday that a 40-foot, cross-shaped war memorial that has stood on public land in Maryland for nearly a century is unconstitutional because it ?excessively entangles? the government with religion.
A divided U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in Richmond, Va., found that the Bladensburg World War I Veterans Memorial ? known locally as the Peace Cross ? ?aggrandizes the Latin cross? to the point that an observer would conclude the government entity that owns it is endorsing Christianity.
?The Latin cross is the core symbol of Christianity,? the court wrote in a 33-page opinion that included photographs of the memorial. ?And here, it is 40 feet tall; prominently displayed in the center of one of the busiest intersections in Prince George?s County, Maryland, and maintained with thousands of dollars in government funds.?
The 2-1 ruling reverses a 2015 district court decision that found the purpose of the cross is not primarily religious and that the site has been used almost exclusively for celebrating federal holidays.
Appeals court rules that Peace Cross in Bladensburg violates the Constitution - Baltimore Sun