ROME, (Reuters) – The European Court of Human Rights  ruled yesterday that crucifixes should be removed from Italian  classrooms, prompting Vatican anger and sparking uproar in  Italy, where such icons are embedded in the national psyche.

“The ruling of the European court was received in the  Vatican with shock and sadness,” said Vatican spokesman Father  Federico Lombardi, adding that it was “wrong and myopic” to try  to exclude a symbol of charity from education. The ruling by the court in Strasbourg, which Italy said it  would appeal, said crucifixes on school walls — a common sight  that is part of every Italian’s life — could disturb children  who were not Christians.

Italy has been in the throes of national debate on how to  deal with a growing population of immigrants, mostly Muslims,  and the court sentence is likely to become another battle cry  for the centre-right government’s policy to restrict newcomers.