Catholic Nonviolence Initiative

Strategizes for World Day of Peace follow-up

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ROME, Italy – On 19-20 December, the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative gathered in Rome to reflect on and discuss the Holy Father’s 2017 World Day of Peace message, Nonviolence: A style of politics for peace, and to strategize about next steps for this critical movement. The Catholic Nonviolence Initiative grew out of the landmark April 2016 Nonviolence and Just Peace conference, co-sponsored by the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace and Pax Christi International, and is focused on affirming the vision and practice of active nonviolence at the heart of the Catholic Church.

The Catholic Nonviolence Initiative is moved and inspired by this 50th World Day of Peace message, particularly the conclusion by Pope Francis: “May we dedicate ourselves prayerfully and actively to banishing violence from our hearts, words and deeds, and to becoming nonviolent people and to building nonviolent communities that care for our common home. ‘Nothing is impossible if we turn to God in prayer. Everyone can be an artisan of peace.’”

“We are committed to following up on this statement on a deep level,” said Marie Dennis, co-president, along with Bishop Kevin Dowling (Rustenburg, South Africa), of Pax Christi International. “It has raised many topics that deserve much reflection, and we are ready to help spread this message of nonviolence in whatever way we can.”

The group met with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States within the Holy See’s Secretariat of State, and with Archbishop Silvano Tomasi of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace. In both meetings, the group shared their deep appreciation for the World Day of Peace message and spoke of their plans to continue the implementation of both that message and the Appeal to the Catholic Church to recommit to the centrality of Gospel nonviolence, the final statement of the April 2016 Nonviolence and Just Peace conference.

“On-going tragedies such as Aleppo and the situation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo make our time together all the more significant. As the Holy Father notes, ‘violence is not the cure for our broken world,’” said Bishop Dowling.

Attending the meetings in Rome along with Ms. Dennis and Bishop Dowling were Bishop Marc Stenger (Troyes, France), bishop president of Pax Christi France; Bishop Luigi Bettazzi, bishop emeritus of Ivrea, Italy and one of the remaining Council Fathers of Vatican II; Greet Vanaerschot, secretary general of Pax Christi International; Ken Butigan (Pace e Bene Nonviolence Service and DePaul University); Pat Gaffney (Pax Christi British section); Fr. Renato Sacco (Pax Christi Italy); Gerry Lee (Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns); Eli McCarthy (Justice and Peace office, Conference of Major Superiors of Men); Ann Scholz, SSND (Office for Social Mission, Leadership Conference of Women Religious); Sheila Kinsey, FCJM and Fr. Felix Mushobozi (Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission, Union of Superiors General/International Union of Superiors General); along with noted writer and activist Fr. John Dear (Campaign Nonviolence); former Pax Christi International secretary general Jose Henriquez; Sr. Julia Arciniegas (Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Promoters, Union of Superiors General/International Union of Superiors General); and Judy Coode, coordinator of the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative.

The following article, written by Hannah Brockhaus, was posted by the Catholic News Agency/EWTN News on 15 December, 2016.

On [December 15] Pope Francis accepted the credentials of six new ambassadors to the Holy See, urging them to work toward promoting the common good in their respective countries by adopting tactics of nonviolence at a political level.

“In a particular way, those who hold public office on the national and international levels are called to cultivate a nonviolent style in their consciences and in the exercise of their duties,” the Pope said in the Dec. 15 audience.

“This is not the same as weakness or passivity; rather it presupposes firmness, courage and the ability to face issues and conflicts with intellectual honesty, truly seeking the common good over and above all partisan interest, be it ideological, economic or political.” Continue reading Pope to ambassadors: Cultivate nonviolent style

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December 12, 2016 – Today in his message Nonviolence: A style of politics for peace, for the 50th World Day of Peace, celebrated each year on 1 January, Pope Francis urges people everywhere to practice active nonviolence and notes that the “decisive and consistent practice of nonviolence has produced impressive results.”

The Catholic Nonviolence Initiative, a global effort to affirm the vision and practice of active nonviolence at the heart of the Catholic Church, is heartened by and deeply grateful for the Holy Father’s call to political and religious leaders, heads of international organizations, and business and media executives to “apply the Beatitudes in the exercise of their respective responsibilities. It is a challenge to build up society, communities and businesses by acting as peacemakers. It is to show mercy by refusing to discard people, harm the environment, or seek to win at any cost. … To act in this way means to choose solidarity as a way of making history and building friendship in society. Active nonviolence is a way of showing that unity is truly more powerful and more fruitful than conflict.”

“It was especially noteworthy that we received Pope Francis’ message at this time,” said Marie Dennis, co-president of Pax Christi International. “Last week we gathered with member organizations in Africa for our regional conference, Nonviolence in Africa: Creating a future of hope, during which time the attendees endorsed the Appeal to the Catholic Church to re-commit to the centrality of Gospel nonviolence. Much of our time together during those days focused on how to reclaim civil space and how to promote nonviolence in many ways. The Holy Father’s message for 2017 deeply resonates with us as the work Pax Christi International and its member groups has been dedicated for years to finding creative and peaceful solutions to violent conflict.”

John Ashworth, an adviser to the South Sudanese Catholic bishops, participated in the Nonviolence in Africa conference and also in the April 2016 Nonviolence & Just Peace gathering in Rome. In response to the World Day of Peace message, John said, “After nearly 200 years of ethnic, religious, cultural and political oppression, discrimination and marginalisation, the people of southern Sudan surely had ‘just cause’ for their armed liberation struggle which culminated in the independence of South Sudan in July 2011. But they had less than three years to enjoy their liberation before a new civil war broke out, the third in 60 years. Violence begets violence. The legacy of decades of armed conflict – trauma; a culture of violence; cycles of revenge, bitterness and hatred which had never been reconciled; tribalism and division; the militarisation of society and politics; corruption and nepotism; authoritarianism; poverty and illiteracy; the dehumanisation of the individual and the lack of respect for human life – had left their mark. The cycle of violence must be broken, radically, and it can only be done so by a new paradigm of nonviolent peacebuilding.”

Fr. Pat Cunningham, a Columban missionary living and working in South Korea who attended the April 2016 Nonviolence & Just Peace conference, responds: “It is indeed very positive to see as one of the fruits of the Rome conference the adoption of nonviolence as a theme for World Peace Day. Pope Francis’ reference to the current situation as a  ‘third world war in pieces’ in highlighting the negative social consequences of violence and particularly when it comes to preparations for war in this region his remarks certainly ring true. I believe that the public’s desire for a new politics here will hopefully lead to more people led institutions that are based on nonviolence and I’m sure Pope Francis’ message will bring much thoughtful reflection.”

Another attendee of the April conference, Merwyn DeMello, who lives and works in Afghanistan, said that Pope Francis, with this message, “honored and respected by the people of Afghanistan who crave peace for their day to day living and their nation. [This] proactive stance on nonviolence, nonviolent resolution to world-wide conflict, respect for Islam and its adherents is a beacon of hope for Afghans and their future generations.  From our hearts salaam alaikum.”

For more information, including many World Day of Peace resources for parishes and communities, visit here or email nonviolence@paxchristi.net.

Catholic Nonviolence Initiative’s World Day of Peace 2017 press release

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Nonviolence in Africa participants visit the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg on 8 December. Photo by Marie Just, Pax Christi International.

From 5-9 December, in Johannesburg, South Africa, Pax Christi International facilitated a conference which brought together representatives of its African member organisations to explore the theme, Nonviolence in Africa: Creating a Future of Hope. More than 30 member organisations from nine African nations participated, in addition to presenters and facilitators from a number of other countries.

On the final day of the conference, the member organisations affirmed the Appeal to the Catholic Church to re-commit to the centrality of Gospel nonviolence.

The following affirmation statement was published on 9 December:

“Africa is a special gift from God to us, and it is bleeding.” These opening words from Bishop Kevin Dowling of South Africa challenged the participants at the Nonviolence in Africa conference on the urgency to come up with the appropriate mechanisms to create peaceful relations where people may live in harmony and with dignity. His words of wisdom also reminded the gathering of the words of Pope Francis to participants of the Nonviolence and Just Peace conference held in Rome in April 2016: “Your thoughts on revitalising the tools of nonviolence, and of active nonviolence in particular, will be a needed and positive contribution.”

After listening to the experiences of Christians committed to building a culture of peace through active nonviolence approaches, to our reflections and deliberations, the richness of the sharing fully resonated with our conviction that active nonviolence is a practical way to create a peaceful coexistence in our African context. Therefore, we, the participants of the Nonviolence in Africa conference and representatives of Pax Christi International member organisations throughout Africa, affirm the Appeal to the Catholic Church to re-commit to the centrality of Gospel nonviolence because of our conviction that it will act as an impetus for communities in Africa and throughout the world to integrate gospel values and promote active nonviolence at personal, communal, national, regional and global levels.

The fourth and final webinar of this series on the landmark Nonviolence & Just Peace conference was held on Friday, November 18.

Listen and watch the slides from the webinar here.

Archbishop Antonio Ledesma, SJ, shared a special message; watch here.

The webinar’s presenters offered their insights into the significance of the Appeal and other outcomes of the conference, as well as ways that listeners can become involved in the spirituality and practice of nonviolence in the Church through the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative.
Continue reading Webinar #4: Outcomes, implementation from Nonviolence & Just Peace conference

Merwyn de Mello and Fr. Pat Cunningham on the final evening of the Nonviolence & Just Peace conference; photo by Gerry Lee, Maryknoll

The third in our series of four webinars about the ground-shifting Nonviolence & Just Peace conference, held in Rome in April 2016, was held on Tuesday, October 25.

Listen to and watch slides from the webinar here.

You can also view the PowerPoint presentations here:
Cory Lockhart (introduction)
Merwyn de Mello *
Dr. Lisa Sowle Cahill
Eli McCarthy

Due to a faulty internet connection, the piece from Merwyn de Mello (who spoke after Lisa in the webinar)  was cut short. You can watch his entire piece here.

Building off the previous webinar on experiences of nonviolence in violent conflict zones and Jesus’ way of nonviolence, this webinar addressed “Nonviolence and Just Peace: Moving beyond war.”

• What are the developments in theological reflection and praxis of just peace and how does this build on the scriptures and trajectory of Catholic social thought?
• How would a turn to just peace impact our moral analysis of conflicts, practices, and engagement with the broader society, including policy makers?
• What could be the role of the Church in moving beyond the notion of justified war?

Continue reading Webinar #3, Nonviolence and Just Peace: Moving beyond war