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House members urge VA to allow crucifixes on headstones of Catholic veterans – LifeSite

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(LifeSiteNews) — Republican U.S. Rep. Riley Moore of West Virginia has taken concrete steps to guarantee that Catholic veterans can choose a crucifix for their headstones in national cemeteries, addressing an apparent long-standing gap in U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs policy.

Nearly one-in-five veterans who served the United States are professed Catholics. Yet, while the VA offers veterans and their next of kin a choice of nearly 100 emblems of belief — including symbols for multiple Christian denominations, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, and even atheism, humanism, and Wicca — the crucifix has not been an approved option for Catholic veterans.

The push to change this gained momentum last month when Republican U.S. Rep. Greg Steube of Florida led a bipartisan letter signed by 45 members of Congress urging the VA to add the crucifix.

The letter, addressed to VA Secretary Douglas A. Collins and Under Secretary for Memorial Affairs Samuel B. Brown, stated, “In the pursuit of religious freedom, as guaranteed by the First Amendment to our Constitution, we urge the Department of Veterans Affairs and the National Cemetery Administration to offer the crucifix as an eligible emblem of belief for inscription on headstones at national cemeteries.”

Explaining further, the bipartisan letter observed that while “even atheists, humanists, and wiccans have an eligible emblem of belief for inscription, Catholic veterans do not currently have the option to select a crucifix, an emblem of belief that most accurately represents the faith of nearly 20 percent of all veterans.”

The signatories included more than 20 Catholic members of Congress, among them Moore and Democrat Rep. Rosa L. DeLauro of Connecticut.

Steube emphasized the principle at stake: “Our veterans made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country, and they deserve to be honored in a way that reflects their deeply held beliefs. Catholic veterans should not be denied the ability to have a crucifix on their headstones while other belief systems are represented.”

Building on that effort, Moore successfully added an amendment to the draft 2027 Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies appropriations bill.

The amendment directs the VA, in coordination with the National Cemetery Administration, “to approve the crucifix as an eligible emblem of belief for inscription on headstones and markers in national cemeteries not later than 90 days after enactment of this Act.” It also requires the VA to notify congressional appropriations committees once the change is complete.

A crucifix is a cross with a figure of Jesus Christ (corpus) affixed to it. This spiritual symbol calls to mind the love of Christ the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for his sheep and freely made possible their redemption through his passion, death and resurrection.

Moore, a devout Catholic, told The Daily Signal the oversight was baffling. “I’m not sure why some of us who are Catholic had not been made aware of this previously. I mean, this is ridiculous,” he said.

The 45-year-old congressman also pledged, “I’m not going to stop until it gets fixed — and it’s going to get fixed.” Moore noted that even Ranking Member DeLauro, who was raised Catholic, supported the amendment in committee.

The amendment is expected to advance with the broader spending bill. If enacted, it would ensure Catholic veterans receive the same religious liberty long afforded to service members of other faiths.

As the letter to the VA concluded, the goal is to honor every veteran “in accordance with their sincerely held beliefs.”


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