Sinziana-Elena Poiana Ioana Lupea Irina-Madalina Doroftei Alina ...

consequences on the presence of religious symbols and religious actors in the public space. Therefore,
a clarification of the boundary between what is acceptable and what is not acceptable in the use of
religious symbols and practices in public schools is necessary.
The new context considerably raises the stakes of „the case of Moise”. Giving intolerant Churches
authority over students within public education institutions affects the European Convention aspiration
„of the foundation of justice and peace”.81 The stake in this case is to recall the European Convention
guarantees when the state supports religious actors unfriendly towards human rights and the rights of
the child.
Religious icons on the schools walls are not “passive symbols”
(Religious) icons are routinely used in Romanian public schools as elements of religious services and
other religious ceremonies. These kinds of events are organized on the first day of the academic year,
and on other occasions as well. There are cases when project applications for European funds are
blessed by the religious-education teachers before submitting it. Teachers of religion roam around the
school several times every year carrying a religious icon and sprinkling around holy water. Students,
teaching staff, members of the administration are asked to kiss the icon during the procession. In this
context the presence of (religious) icons is not comparable to that of crucifixes (see the Grand
Chamber argument at §72), since “an icon on a wall is contrary to the nature of a passive symbol” and
“it is strongly deemed to have an influence on pupils as much as didactic speeches or participation in
religious activities.”
Here is a testimony about an academic year opening ceremony showing the close connection between
the presence of religious symbols and religious militancy in schools:
His Holiness Archbishop Casian, the Bishop of the Lower Danube, was invited to the school
opening service. After having blessed the school and the pupils attending it, after having
displayed religious symbols, he held a discourse on the evil nature of religious sects, on the
serious harm that they do to a religious society, and on their unfortunate impact on children so
easily swayed. For approximately 30 minutes, students waiting to enter their classroom had to
be present during the Bishop’s monologue, without being able to object or go away, since they
were supposed to enter their classrooms accompanied by their teachers. 82
A teacher of history and civics in the county of Braila was forced to resign and quit the locality after
his refusal to kiss an Orthodox icon at an academic year opening ceremony. Pressures were exerted on
the teacher, who identified himself as an Evangelical, through the school and through the family
hosting him as well. Kissing the icon would have represented an act against the values and practices of
the teacher`s own religion.
These are random examples. Using (religious) icons in schools or other circumstances with the
purpose of orthodoxizing the educational environment is common practice allover the country.
Icons, part of an intolerant Orthodox religious education
Investigations proved an undeniable connection between racial and ethnic stereotyping and Orthodox
religious education. Religion teachers blame Jews for “having eventually turned their backs on
Christ”, for having left the ranks of the “truly faithful”. The Orthodox faith has the “truth”, unlike the
Jewish faith, which “does not know the truth”. In invoking the Apocalypse, some religion teachers
81 The European Convention on Human Rights, “Preamble”.
82 Interview 3: the opening ceremony was taking place in a school in the county of Galati.
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