A regional court decision has ordered the removal of an image of Saint Michael that stands in the public square of the French town of Sables-d’Olonne. The population, however, is in favour of keeping the Archangel.
Newsroom (11/03/2022 2:46 PM, Gaudium Press) The population of the French town of Sables-d’Olonne wants Saint Michael’s image to remain where it is.
On a vote organized by the town’s mayor, Yannick Moreau, 94.51% of the 4,593 votes are against the removal of the statue.
Mayor Moreau decided to organize a public consultation, as he disagrees with the judicial decision ordering the removal of the image of Saint Michael from its usual place.
The voting took place online, between February 25 and March 5, and in-person last Saturday, March 5.
“The opinion of the citizens will guide us in the next steps that the city will take regarding the court’s decision,” explained Mayor Moreau. “The town of Sables d’Olonne will not allow intimidation by useless court procedures attempting to Cancel Culture,” he announced via tweeter:
La ville des Sables d’Olonne ne se laissera pas intimidée par des procès inutiles #cancelculture. La place de cette statue est sur la place St Michel devant l’auditorium et l’église éponymes. pic.twitter.com/lAHapBiUXy – Yannick MOREAU ن (@YannickMOREAU) November 19, 2021
Anticlericalism
The debate started in November 2021, when the Vendée Free thought Federation (Fédération de la Libre-Pensée de Vendée) petitioned the administrative court of Nantes asking for the removal of the statue of Saint Michael from the public square.
The anticlerical association claims that the statue of the Archangel is contrary to the 1905 law of secularism, forbidding the erection of symbols of religious nature in a public space.
The administrative court interpreted that since the statue is a religious figure, it should be removed from the public area and announced the decision on December 16. The Mayor of Sables-d’Olonne appealed the decision on the same day.
The image of St. Michael the Archangel, patron saint of France, was the property of a former Catholic School. It was erected three years ago in front of the church of St Michael. (FM)
Compiled by Gustavo Kralj
