“For me, the crucifix is a symbol of our history, our culture, our traditions,” education minister Marco Bussetti said, telling a meeting of 180 teachers and school leaders from across the country he believed the same to be true for Christmas trees and nativity displays at this time of year.

Speaking at the Federation of Catholic Schools’ annual congress in Rome on Thursday, the minister — an independent who has taught in schools and universities during his long career in education — said he could not understand why some headteachers and school administrators feel the display of Christian cultural markers in ...