Members should have received the latest Justpeace now. You will find it has a forward-looking, international flavour: the first article is from Pax Christi International’s Co-President Marc Stenger, Bishop of Troyes. You can read Justpeace online. We posted out our new look Summer Resources flyer too. Now that our website is fully secure, we hope more of you will feel comfortableordering any itemsthrough our online shop. Staff are in the office again on some days now so we are able to post out orders. We look forward to when we can meet members and volunteers in person and are keeping you in our prayers until we can do that at last.
A dialogue shaping the future of the United Nations
‘The United Nations is marking its 75th anniversary at a time of great challenge, including the worst global health crisis in its history. Will it bring the world closer together? Or will it lead to greater divides and mistrust? Your views can make a difference’.
Pax Christi is hosting aUN75 dialogue on 26th June, the day the UN charter was signed in 1945. Join us online at 11am and be part of the global conversation about challenges and aspirations for the future of peace. This is a stand-alone event although it follows our previous online discussion and prayer time on the Holy See Mission to the UN and the work of Pax Christi International’s UN representatives in New York. Contact us for the Zoom link: info@paxchristi.org.uk. If you can’t join us, add your voice by taking part in the UN survey.
Promote the peace message on 26th June by displaying this poster (or one you have designed yourself!) in your window or perhaps in your church or another public space. Leave the poster in place over the weekend to open up conversations about Armed Forces Day on 27th.
Approaching the 75th anniversary of the foundation of the United Nations, we hosted an online discussion and prayer time. More information is in our member news report. Aaron Humphriss spoke about his recent placement with the Holy See Mission to the UN in New York, on a disarmament and security brief. Mary Yelenick spoke to us from New York where she is a member of the Pax Christi International UN-NGO team. We were inspired by Aaron’s own journey to thinking about peace, having come from a very different starting point. We spent time in prayer following a liturgy incorporating some of the preamble to the United Nations Charter. Aaron provided links to more information as well as a copy of his presentation.
Pax Christi Executive and staff preparing to welcome members to the 2020 AGM
More than 60 Pax Christi members joined the meeting in this, Pax Christi International’s 75th Anniversary, year. Vice President Valerie Flessati described the origins of our movement, in Second World War France. Pax Christi International Co-President Wamuyu Wachira brought us up to date, and into the presence of God, with a video message. Outgoing, Chair Holly Ball, called for a revolution in this change of era. Following reports by the four staff members, there was spirited discussion of the resolutions, voting, and election of a new Chair and four new Executive Committee members.
Ten breakout groups were formed in which members made proposals for Pope Francis to consider as part of the work of the Covid-19 Vatican Commission reflecting on the ‘new socio-economic-cultural future.’ The proposals will be collated and communicated directly to the Commission.
Our National President, Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, spoke with appreciation of Holly’s time as Chair. Newly-elected Chair, Ann Farr, led us in a liturgy in which she invited us to ‘quietly renew our commitment to our witness and work as peacemakers’. The AGM was reported by Ellen Teague on Independent Catholic News. There is a fuller report on our website too.
We spoke the names of Pax Christi members who died this year
Pax Christi is part of the interfaith working group who produced this new report. We researched the role of a sample of our financial institutions in supporting the production of nuclear weapons systems. The results of our research, engagement and analysis are presented. Our National President, Archbishop Malcolm McMahon, endorsed the report saying, ‘I encourage you to contact your bank and/or pension provider to discuss your concern about any continuing investment in nuclear weapons’.
Read the report to see how your bank and/or pension provider compares.
