San Diego ? The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday put on hold an order to remove a monumental cross that sits on public land, giving hope to supporters just weeks before it was to be taken down.

A lower court judge had ordered the city of San Diego to remove the cross or be fined $5,000 a day.

Justice Anthony M. Kennedy, acting for the high court, issued a stay while supporters of the cross continue their legal fight.

Lawyers for San Diegans for the Mount Soledad National War Memorial said in an appeal that they wanted to avoid the “destruction of this national treasure.” And attorneys for the city said the cross was part of a broader memorial that was important to the community.

Phil Thalheimer, chairman of the war memorial group, said the ruling “borders on divine intervention.”

Jack Porath, who is retired from the United States Air Force and a trustee of the Mount Soledad Memorial Assn., walks down from the Mount Soledad National War Memorial in San Diego. The U.S. Supreme Court intervened Monday to stop the removal of the large cross from city property.

“We were jumping up and down,” he said. “For this to happen on July 3 – the day before our Independence Day, which is about freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of expression – it couldn’t have happened better.”

The 29-foot cross, on a scenic hilltop perch in the upscale La Jolla area, was contested in 1989 by Philip Paulson, a Vietnam veteran and atheist.

A judge declared the cross, a symbol of Christianity, was an unconstitutional endorsement of one religion over another.

Three years ago, the Supreme Court refused to get involved in the dispute between Paulson and the city.

Kennedy granted the stay to the city and the cross’ supporters without comment pending a further order from him or the entire court. It was unclear Monday how long the stay would remain in effect or whether the Supreme Court would ultimately deny the appeals by the city and the cross’ supporters.