Appeals court saves Pensacola cross

The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta on Feb. 19 upheld the constitutionality of a Pensacola cross based on a 2019 opinion by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The cross was placed in 1941 at a site in Pensacola’s Bayview Park and became the focus of an annual Easter sunrise service organized by the Junior Chamber of Commerce, also known as the Jaycees, according to the 11th Circuit panel.

The Jaycees replaced the wooden cross with a concrete one in 1969 and later gave it to the city. The 34-foot cross has been the location of other events, including services on Memorial Day and Veterans Day.

The Supreme Court ruled last June that a 40-foot cross on public land in Maryland does not defy the Establishment Clause. (BP)