The Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter yesterday asking that the city of Pensacola, Fla., take down a 15 to 20-foot tall cross that stands in Bayview Park, a public park.
The cross was put up decades ago, and has been a popular location for Easter sunrise services since at least the 1940s. Despite current plans to redesign the park, the cross remains a permanent fixture in those plans.
"The government's permanent display of a Latin cross on public land is unconstitutional. The inherent religious significance of the Latin cross is undeniable and is not disguisable," wrote FFRF Staff Attorney Rebecca Markert. "The display of this patently religious symbol on public property confers government endorsement of Christianity, a blatant violation of the Establishment Clause. The endorsement is made stronger by use of the cross for religious services."
The cross should be removed from Bayview Park immediately, Markert said, and any plans to redesign the park should not include the cross.
FFRF is a national state/church watchdog with more than 22,500 members, including over 1,100 members and a chapter in Florida.