French court decides to take down Virgin Mary statue

A court has given the town of Publier three months to remove its statue of the Virgin Mary to comply with a national ban on religious symbols in public spaces, reports BBC.

If it fails to do so, it will be fined €100 (£80; $105) a day. Mayor Gaston Lacroix said he will try to relocate the marble statue on private land.

The image of the mother of Jesus has been standing on the shores of Lake Geneva since 2011. It has been the subject of local controversy for some years after it was paid for with municipal funds.

The decision to remove the statue has been criticised on social media, with some wondering whether freedom of expression had been curbed.

Publier is a city in the department of Haute-Savoie, in eastern France.

Read also

EU officials discuss UOC persecution with experts in Brussels

Two expert–level discussions on the state of religious freedom in Ukraine were held in the EU.

WHO urges securing equal access to IVF for same-sex couples

WHO’s new recommendations substantially broaden the concept of infertility and open the door to widespread use of assisted reproduction, including for same-sex couples and transgender individuals.

In Kniazhychi, brotherhood defends their monastery from seizure

Parishioners and the brotherhood of the UOC Transfiguration Monastery in Kniazhychi succeeded in defending their sacred site from the attempts of security forces and raiders.

UOC Primate congratulates Met. Arseniy on 20 years of episcopal ordination

The Primate of the UOC sent greetings to Metropolitan Arseniy on the anniversary of his personal Pentecost.

UGCC urges faithful to be ready to lay down their lives for Ukraine

The UGCC hierarchs have published a letter to the faithful urging them to cleanse the country of Soviet methods of governance, military organization, and economic management.

Condition of Metropolitan Theodosiy shows first signs of recovery

For the first time since his hospitalization, the health indicators of Metropolitan Theodosiy of Cherkasy have begun to improve.