September 26th: Our Director, Theresa, writing in The Universe: What Does it Mean to Live nonviolently?
September 21 – October 2nd: Days of Action on Nonviolence. More than 30 participants joined us for a series of five new study sessions ‘Making Active Nonviolence our Way of Life’, offered weekly for the first time. One participant said, ‘The discussions were so rich. It was great to have people from all over the UK and overseas sharing’.
September 13 -21: World Week for Peace in Palestine & Israel. Pax Christi produced resources and promoted this week on the theme announced by the World Council of Churches: Creative Solidarity in Common Fragility. Reported in Independent Catholic News
August 20th: Pat Gaffney led a zoom session on the Catholic Nonviolence initiative and introducing the new Days of Action on Nonviolence. We were joined by Pax Christi friends from all over the world. We are grateful to Independent Catholic news for publishing the report by Pax Christi Executive Committee member Joan Sharples.
August 9: Franz Jägerstätter Memorial Service: This year, online! Almost 50 Pax Christi members and friends met online to mark the execution of Austrian Catholic farmer and conscientious objector, Franz Jägerstätter. Due to the online format, we were able to welcome people from America and Uruguay, as well as Pax Christi Scotland’s Chair, Marian Pallister. During our liturgy, Marian reflected on Franz’s legacy more personally. We heard music from Marion Hill and from José Ignacio Davila. Listen to Marian‘s talk again.
August 6 – 9 : 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima & Nagasaki. Our Director, Theresa, wrote an article for the Universe newspaper: ‘The language of deterrence is one of domination and other-ing. It is not the language of the gospel’. Our plans to mark these events were reported on Independent Catholic News. On behalf of Pax Christi England & Wales, Theresa signed an interfaith statement and a statement coordinated by Christian CND speaking out against nuclear weapons. The Christian CND statement was signed by four Catholic bishops from England & Wales and a number of Catholic clergy and religious Sisters. The Catholic Bishops Conference for England & Wales also issued a statement for the anniversaries. Pax Christi Executive Committee member, Henrietta Cullinan, wrote a piece for the NJPN column in the Universe too.
We sent messages of greeting and solidarity to our partners in Japan from members and from our National President, Archbishop Malcolm McMahon. Information about members’ activities is reported on our Member News pages.
24th July: Our Director, Theresa, wrote an article in the Universe about the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative and their Appeal to Pope Francis.
