Christian Cross Coming Back to College Chapel
Pastor Dale Morgan
Christian Cross Coming Back to College Chapel*
Wednesday March 7, 2007 5:16 AM
By SONJA BARISIC
Associated Press Writer
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) - A compromise announced Tuesday will permanently
return a brass cross to the chapel at the College of William and Mary,
several months after the president's decision to remove the cross caused
an outcry.
The 18-inch cross will be displayed prominently in a glass case, based
on a recommendation made by a committee of alumni, students and others
that President Gene R. Nichol created to study the issue.
The cross had been on the altar since about 1940 during religious
services and secular events at the publicly funded college. But in
October, Nichol removed it to make Wren Chapel more welcoming to
students of all faiths. The cross could be returned by request.
After widespread criticism, Nichol said in December the cross would
appear on the altar on Sundays, but opponents of the removal sought a
more permanent solution.
``The Wren controversy has been a decidedly difficult and sometimes
painful one for this community,'' Nichol said at a news conference. ``It
has touched depths of disagreement ... that I didn't fully anticipate.''
The cross' exact location in the chapel has yet to be determined, but it
will be in a prominent place, officials said, and accompanied by a
plaque explaining the college's Anglican roots. Officials said the
practice is similar to that used by other universities with historic
chapels.
Critics have argued that removing the cross is an attack on Christianity
and dishonors William and Mary's heritage. The nation's second-oldest
college, after Harvard, William and Mary was founded by royal charter in
1693 with a mission that included training Anglican ministers.
More than 14,000 alumni, students and others have expressed their
displeasure with Nichol's action by signing an online petition. A
competing petition supporting the cross' removal received more than
1,800 signatures.
``I don't think it was the ideal solution, but I think it's something a
lot of people can rally around,'' said Ben Locher, a 21-year-old senior
government major from Pittsburgh and student founder of Save the Wren Cross.
The cross belongs to Williamsburg's Bruton Parish Church but was
transferred to the college when the Episcopal church received a new
cross. Before that, William and Mary's chapel had no cross for more than
200 years, following the common practice of English churches.
^---
On the Net:
College of William and Mary: http://www.wm.edu
Save the Wren Cross: http://www.savethewrencross.org/