All are welcome to join the Christian Bloc for prayers in Mount Street Gardens W1K 2TH (outside Farm Street Church, Mayfair), this Saturday 3 August 2024 at 12.15pm, ahead of the latest national march for peace in Gaza. Westminster Justice and Peace and Pax Christi will be among the groups represented.
Prayers begin at 12.30pm and will be led by Fr Dominic Robinson SJ.
We will join the main march in Park Lane at 1pm. A shorter walk is also available from Green Park station.
Marchers will be demanding an immediate, permanent ceasefire; a just settlement to end apartheid and occupation and calling for the UK government stop arming Israel.
LEEDS
Christians for Palestine will also be gathering on the same day in Leeds outside the Cathedral in Cookridge Street, LS2 8BE at 12.45pm.
Christians for Palestine outside St Paul’s Cathedral
All are welcome to join us for the fourth Roundtable meeting, facilitated by the Westminster Justice and Peace Commission.
Venue: Arrupe Hall, Farm Street Church, 114 Mount Street, London, W1K 3AH
Date: 29 June 2024
Time: 4.00-6.00pm
This month’s meeting will focus on parish responses to the war in Gaza and strife in the Holy Land.
What is happening in your parish – prayers, fundraising, talks?
What would you like to see happening?
With whom can we collaborate? Ecumenical, interfaith, Holy Land charities???
New participants welcome.
Please do come along to find out more or get in touch with the Justice and Peace Co-ordinator, Colette Joyce. Mobile: 07593 434905; Email: colettejoyce@rcdow.org.uk
Westminster Justice and Peace will be joining Christians of all denominations alongside Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist and secular peace campaigners in Russell Square this Saturday, 8 June, before marching to Whitehall. We will be calling for an end to the genocide in Gaza, and appealing for the UK and US to stop arming Israel.
Pax Christi will be leading prayers in Bloomsbury Square Gardens at 12noon. The march will begin moving at 12.30. The rally is expected to end in Whitehall at around 4.30pm.
With the General Election looming, the organisers want to show all political parties that they must act to #StopGazaGenocide if they want our vote.
More than 10,000 people took part in a peaceful, last-minute rally in Downing Street yesterday, (Tuesday 28 May), in response to Israel’s horrific attacks on the tented refugee camp in Rafah, southern Gaza yesterday, which killed at least 50 people, mostly women and children, and injured hundreds more.
Speakers demanded an immediate halt to all arms sales to Israel and called for Israel to follow the ICJ Directives. They praised the Jewish peace demonstrators in Israel and all the students who have risen up around the world appealing for an end to the onslaught and justice for the Palestinian people.
One campaigner said: “Our government and the Labour leadership have provided support for Israel as it commits genocide. They have blood on their hands.”
Among the crowds were several representatives from Christians for Palestine.
Colette Joyce from Westminster Diocese Justice and Peace told ICN: “We cannot carry on being complicit while unprotected civilians die in tent camps from military strikes, after having been moved many times already, in search of safety in Gaza.
“We stood outside Number 10 Downing Street today with our banner saying: ‘Blessed are the Peacemakers’ – because our shared humanity calls out for a better response, one that does not ask the most vulnerable to pay the highest price.”
Christians For Palestine will be praying and marching again on Saturday, 18 May, for peace in the Holy Land.
76 years since the Nakba began, it is still happening right now with increasing violence. Palestinians are still being slaughtered every day in Gaza and occupied Palestine, and new atrocities by the Israeli military and settlers continue to emerge.
People in Gaza are being ordered to “evacuate”, but with nowhere safe to go, evacuation is really a death march to neighbourhoods already obliterated by the bombing. There are no safe places. No aid whatsoever has entered Gaza for days and people are starving to death. This has to stop. The people in power must be forced to make it stop.
Despite the ICJ ruling and a UN security council resolution calling for a ceasefire, the UK covenant continues to arm Israel, in violation of international law.
So once again we demand a permanent ceasefire and immediate suspension of all UK arms contracts with Israel.
We’re walking a shorter section of the route this time to make it more accessible
All are warmly invited to join Westminster Justice and Peace to pray for peace in the Holy Land and other war-torn countries on the eve of Pentecost, Saturday 18th May 2024 at 8.00pm.
The Chaplet of the Holy Spirit was composed in 1892 by a Franciscan Capuchin missionary of the English province in order to give the faithful a means of honouring the third person of the Trinity. It was approved by Pope Leo XIII in 1902.
This Rosary consists of five groups of seven beads each. In each group, the ‘Glory be to the Father’ is said on the seven small beads and an Our Father and a Hail Mary on the two large beads. There are three beads at the beginning for the Sign of the Cross, an Act of Contrition and the hymn ‘Come Holy Ghost’.
There is a mystery for each of the five groups, commemorating the Five Wounds of Jesus , which are the fountains of grace which the Holy Spirit imparts to all.
Mary Pierre-Harvey from St Michael and St Martin Parish, Hounslow, will lead us through the Chaplet.
To join us, please register with Eventbrite or contact the Justice and Peace Co-ordinator, Colette Joyce, on colettejoyce@rcdow.org.uk
Quakers in Britain, CAFOD, SCIAF and Christian Aid have joined around 30 other charities calling on the UK government to take meaningful action to stop any further attacks on Rafah in Southern Gaza by the Israeli military.
On Monday, the Israeli military issued relocation orders to people sheltering in parts of Rafah. Israeli tanks have entered the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, blocking completely the passage for people and humanitarian aid.
Text of Statement
London, 7 May 2024.
The UK Government has repeatedly asked Israel not to unleash a slaughter in Rafah, Gaza.
Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron is “very concerned about what is happening in Rafah” and knows “it is impossible to fight a war amongst all these people. There is nowhere for them to go.”
Deputy Foreign Secretary, Andrew Mitchell thinks that, “an Israeli incursion will struggle to be compliant with international law.”
Middle East Minister, Lord Ahmad said that, “the fighting must stop now, in order to get the hostages home.”
Meanwhile, the Prime Minister acknowledges that, “too many innocent civilians have died in Gaza.”
David Cameron also asked Israel for a ‘Plan B’ for Rafah to ensure, “people can achieve safety, get food, medicine and water, and that people are kept safe.”
They have been ignored by Israel.
Yesterday, the Israeli military issued relocation orders to people sheltering in parts of Rafah, the first step towards a full-scale invasion that will most likely kill thousands of civilians. The area people are being directed to is already overstretched and lacks the capacity and resources to accommodate the number of people seeking refuge. The relocation orders lack guarantees of safety and the right to return, which risk violating International law.
In the last 12 hours, Israel has intensely bombed Rafah, including civilian homes and areas marked as safe. This morning, Israeli tanks entered the Rafah border crossing with Egypt, blocking completely the passage for people and humanitarian aid.
There are no safe spaces in Gaza. Israel has repeatedly attacked so-called ‘safe zones’, killing displaced people. Any claims from Israel that civilians can be safely relocated have no credibility.
The failure of our leaders to back words with meaningful action is glaring. As the 1.4 million people in Rafah face attacks that our leaders know would be catastrophic, they must finally act to stop the slaughter.
The UK must work urgently to stop any further assault on Rafah from going ahead, demand an immediate lasting ceasefire, resume funding to UNRWA, and suspend arms sales to Israel for as long as there is a risk they may be used to violate international law.
A ceasefire is the only way to stop the death and destruction, get more aid to those who desperately need it, and safely release the hostages.
There is no Plan B for the people in Rafah.
Signed:
1. Action For Humanity
2. ActionAid UK
3. Amos Trust
4. Bond
5. CAFOD
6. Care International UK
7. Christian Aid
8. Council for Arab-British Understanding
9. Friends of the Earth England, Wales and Northern Ireland
Westminster Justice and Peace were once again among Christians of all denominations showing solidarity for the people of the Holy Land at the thirteenth national ‘Ceasefire Now!’ rally on Saturday 27th April 2024.
We gathered at St Matthew’s Church, Westminster, for prayers, before heading out to join the national peace rally, calling for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
One organiser said: “This genocide shows no sign of stopping, and, along with the military slaughter we are seeing intentional starvation – the grossest of human rights abuses and a violation of humanitarian law. Now is not the time to stop making our voices heard.”
Armed with posters and banners the group marched into Trafalgar Square, joining thousands of Jewish, Muslim and secular peace groups and individuals heading for Hyde Park.
As they reached the park gates they stopped for a brief prayer before joining the rally to hear the speakers. These included a Holocaust survivor, politicians, artists and human rights campaigners.
Stephen Kapos, an 87-year-old originally from Budapest, who lost most of his family in the Holocaust, said: “We want to stress our solidarity with the Palestinian people” adding that memories of the Holocaust should never be used as cover for Israel’s actions in Gaza. “The right wing has been claiming that there are no-go areas of London for Jews. We want to prove that’s wrong – we are very welcome here.”
Irish MEP Clare Daly gave a powerful speech demanding an arms embargo against Israel. She further called out Joe Biden, European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen and Rishi Sunak for supporting and enabling Israel, as the genocide in Gaza continues.
Northern Ireland’s first minister, Michelle O’Neill told the crowds: “Ireland stands for and with Palestine. From this platform we demand an immediate and unconditional ceasefire We need to see an end to the genocide, an end to the ethnic cleansing and collective punishment of the people of Gaza. What is happening in Gaza in the gravest human rights violation of our time.
“Six months of occupation has seen Israel indiscriminately slaughter 35,000 Gazans including 15,000 children. We in Ireland have deep empathy with the Palestinian people, born of that shared experience of colonialism and occupation. Sinn Fein has demanded that the Irish government do more to hold Israel to account. Friends, Ireland knows conflict. But we equally know the value of hard won peace. No conflict is intractable. Peace is always possible and peace most now be the shared will of the international community now. World leaders, especially the United States face a choice. Stand by International law, human rights and justice or stand by the savagery of Israel…. So today with one voice we say to Israel: stop the slaughter.
CND Vice-President Jeremy Corbyn, and CND Chair Tom Unterrainer also addressed the crowds.
Actress Juliet Stevenson gave a moving reading of ‘If I die’ the last poem by Palestinian writer Refaat Alareer before he was killed by Israel in Gaza in December.
In his address, Gary Younge, Sociology Professor at University of Manchester and former Guardian journalist spoke powerfully of the historical parallels in the present moment of the Gaza genocide, and why we must keep going – because we will accept nothing less than freedom for Palestine. “You can cut down the flowers but you can’t stop the spring,” he siad.
Rose Haddow from Our Lady Help of Christians church in Kentish Town, north London told ICN: “It was important for me to show solidarity with everyone calling again for an immediate ceasefire in Palestine as we all marched through central London on Saturday. As a Catholic, I felt reassured and proud to be walking with fellow Christians behind a banner proclaiming ‘Blessed are the peacemakers’ for it is only by embracing a truly peaceful and pragmatic stance that a just solution to this horrific situation in Gaza and beyond can be achieved. As a whole, the people on the march were noisy, vibrant, good natured, kind, friendly and full of desire and determination to make a difference and to call upon governments to reject conflict and the weapons of war and work sincerely to make peace a reality. It is without question, time to bring about a ceasefire and alleviate the terrible death, destruction and suffering of the Palestinian people.”
Christians For Palestine UK is a grassroots movement of Christians from all denominations marching and praying together for peace and justice in Palestine.
To find out more about the Westminster Justice and Peace Commission response to the crisis in the Israel and Palestine join us at Our Lady of Victories Church, Kensington on 9th May:Westminster Holy Land Roundtable 9th May 2024
Father Gabriel Romanelli, Parish Priest of Holy Family Catholic Parish in Gaza, has been in London during a week-long visit to the United Kingdom, facilitated by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales.
An Argentinian priest of the Institute of the Incarnate Word (IVE), on Tuesday he met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Most Rev Justin Welby, at Lambeth Palace. He has also met with Cardinal Vincent Nichols, President of the Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark and Bishop Nicholas Hudson, the new Chair of the International Affairs Department and Chair of the Holy Land Coordination.
Father Romanelli has also had meetings with Christian charities and organisations devoted to alleviating the suffering of the peoples of the Holy Land.
On Tuesday, 23 April, Bishop Hudson accompanied Father Romanelli to the Houses of Parliament to brief MPs and shed light on the challenges faced by Christians in the Holy Land following the 7 October Hamas terror attack and the subsequent bombardment of the Gaza Strip by Israel.
The cross-party group of MPs and Peers highlighted the ongoing work of Parliament in trying to get more humanitarian aid delivered to the people of Gaza.
Despite being stranded in Jerusalem due to the conflict, Father Romanelli has maintained constant communication with his parishioners. He is regularly in contact with Pope Francis, who shows a deep ongoing prayerful concern for those sheltering in the compound of the Holy Family, and has explained that after several months of war, the people are “tired, sad, and heartbroken”.
Once again this Saturday, Westminster Justice and Peace will be joining Christians For Palestine at a gathering in London to pray and march for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
Meet at St Matthew’s church, Westminster, 20 Great Peter St, London SW1P 2BU at 11.45am.
The organisers say: “We will hold our prayers around 12pm and leave at 12.15, to march the route from Parliament Square to the national rally in Hyde Park.
“Please bring your placards – homemade or printed – and your commitment, your friends and relations, your church family, your loud voices and your hope. This genocide shows no sign of stopping, and, along with the military slaughter we are seeing intentional starvation – the grossest of human rights abuses and a violation of humanitarian law. Now is not the time to stop making our voices heard.”
Diocese of Westminster Justice and Peace Commission 