Nearly 50 members of Congress have urged the Department of Veterans Affairs to approve the Catholic crucifix as an emblem option for veterans’ headstones in U.S. national cemeteries.
| PULSE POINTS |
❓ WHAT HAPPENED: Nearly 50 members of Congress are urging the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to approve the Catholic crucifix as an emblem option for veterans’ headstones in national cemeteries. 📺 DETAIL: The initiative was started by CatholicVote, an organization dedicated to representing the interests and values of Catholic Americans. The organization consulted the Department of Veterans Affairs on whether a Catholic crucifix was acceptable, and the VA answered that it was, but official approval would be required—a process that could take three to four years. Consequently, a group of lawmakers, led by Rep. Greg Steube (R-FL), sent a letter to VA leadership on April 10 demanding an expedited review process to ensure approval as soon as possible. 💬 KEY QUOTE: “While even atheists, humanists, and wiccans have an eligible emblem of belief for inscription, Catholic veterans do not currently have the option to select a crucifix. In the pursuit of religious freedom, as guaranteed by the First Amendment to our Constitution, we urge the Department of Veterans Affairs… to offer the crucifix as an eligible emblem of belief for inscription on headstones at national cemeteries.” – Letter to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs. 🎯 IMPACT: If approved, the Catholic crucifix would join nearly 100 other VA-approved emblems, including symbols for Protestant Christianity, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism), Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and even atheism. Supporters argue the decision would provide Catholic veterans, who make up roughly 20 percent of the U.S. military, meaningful representation of their faith in national cemeteries. |
Join Pulse+ to comment below, and receive exclusive e-mail analyses.