Cross coming back to Va. college chapel
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. --A brass cross will be permanently displayed in a chapel at the College of William and Mary under a compromise announced Tuesday, several months after the president's decision to remove it 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 decided to remove 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 17,000 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 2,000 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.
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On the Net:
College of William and Mary: http://www.wm.edu
Save the Wren Cross: http://www.savethewrencross.org/
Support Nichol petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/688533748
