UAAR serves formal notice on a public school in Zafferana Etnea that had already arranged for students to go and «venerate the relic of the Patron Saint»: acts of worship during school hours are prohibited
A school first organized a devotional visit to the relic of Saint Agatha — her «sacred arm» — in a parish church, so that students could venerate it. Then, after receiving a formal notice from the Italian Union of Rationalist Atheists and Agnostics (UAAR), through its Catania chapter, it quickly reversed course and canceled that unlawful decision. Acts of worship during school hours are in fact prohibited, as made clear by regulations and court rulings, including the final decision of the Council of State dated March 27, 2017.
This time it happened in Zafferana Etnea, in the province of Catania. There, the administration of the “Federico De Roberto” Comprehensive School had issued a circular scheduling, for yesterday, June 4, 2026, first a visit at 9:00 a.m. by elementary school classes from one campus — bringing «a white tulip» — and then, at 11:30 a.m., a visit by middle school students, carrying a «white handkerchief».
Students would thus have had «the opportunity to approach and venerate the relic of the Patron Saint», accompanied by their teachers. The visit would not even have taken into account its macabre implications, since the object on display was said to be the arm from Saint Agatha’s corpse, brought by Archbishop Luigi Renna to a parish church in the town.
After learning of the matter, UAAR immediately sent a formal notice, acting to help affirm the supreme constitutional principle of state secularism — including the secular nature of public schools and institutions — and to obtain recognition of the full equality before the law of all citizens, regardless of their philosophical or religious convictions.
Within just a few hours, the school was forced to backtrack, revoking the circular on its own initiative. Among the reasons cited was «the duty of the educational institution to guarantee a fully inclusive learning environment, free from any discriminatory effect, whether direct or indirect».
When contacted by the daily newspaper La Sicilia, the principal defended himself by saying that «nothing was imposed on anyone» and that «students who, following their parents’ objection, did not wish to take part in the visit would have remained in class, attending lessons, in full respect of freedom». But that is where he is mistaken, because authorizing participation in religious rites during school hours is unlawful, even if those who do not wish to take part are not involved.
This is also because, in practice, and in disregard of privacy, such arrangements force students to reveal their religious affiliation. It is not enough to boast that the school is «one big family, an inclusive school that welcomes everyone and is rightly considered a school of excellence»: such principles must also be put into practice.
Indeed, inclusiveness cannot exist without secularism. It also means not allowing “volunteer” students to take part in religious rites when they should be in class, thereby effectively discriminating against the others.
Many schools pretend not to know that acts of worship during school hours are prohibited. To help citizens protect themselves, UAAR provides instructions and a formal notice template on its page “Masses, Prayers, Blessings, and Pastoral Visits in Public Schools”.
Press release