Category: Campaigns

Laudato Si’ Prayer – Sunday 24th May 2020, 12 noon

We have been marking Laudato Si’ Week all this week (16-24 May) and the events will culminate in a chain of prayer around the world this coming Sunday at 12noon local time wherever you are. Do download the prayer card and join in or follow along with this beautiful British Sign Language video.

BSL interpretation by Michelle Roca from Caritas Westminster Deaf Service

Everyone is invited to say the Laudato Si’ Week prayer together on Sunday 24th May 2020 at 12noon local time wherever you are. 

You are warmly welcome also to use it at your online Masses and other prayer services throughout the day. It is always 12 noon somewhere in the world!

For more on Laudato Si’ Week visit the Justice & Peace website

Human Dignity of Refugees

Bishop Paul McAleenan, Lead Bishop for migration and asylum, has joined over 20 front-line facing organisations working with asylum seekers, refugees, and those with irregular immigration status in calling for a grant of a period of ‘leave to remain’ to those with insecure immigration status.

Bishop Paul said:

“I fully support the Jesuit Refugee Service and other charities in calling for a grant of leave to all with insecure immigration status during the current pandemic.

“One’s human dignity is the primary issue. In this crisis respect for human dignity demands that everyone without exception is given the right to protect themselves from COVID-19 and to receive medical treatment if necessary…”

Read full report on Independent Catholic News

Safe Passage Appeal

Refugees are trapped by Covid-19, unable to reach their loved ones in the UK.

Their families need your help.

Add your name to the Safe Passage open letter to Home Secretary, Priti Patel, and Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, and help bring these refugees to safety.

Sign the letter

Bishops of Asia join call for UN Global Ceasefire

Cardinal Bo

Report from Independent Catholic News

The Bishops of Asia have joined the call of the United Nations Secretary General, Antonio Guterres and Pope Francis, for a global ceasefire in the face of the unprecedented threat of the coronavirus pandemic.

Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon and President of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conference (FABC), said in a statement that they were calling for “an end to hostilities worldwide”. Without cessation of fighting everywhere, “the suffering of many will be prolonged the world over and healing delayed indefinitely.”

The Cardinal said: “The whole planet is in crisis. The pandemic’s consequences are catastrophic for public health and for social and economic life. If we truly wish Myanmar to emerge a united, peaceful, prosperous people, now is the time for speedy, aggressive, respectful decision. Now is the time for wise, coherent, future oriented action. This is no time to escalate conflict, but to end the disease of war that is devastating our world.”

The message takes up the words addressed by Pope Francis who, visiting Myanmar in 2017, recalled that “conflicts are not resolved through war and antagonism, and differences must be overcome through dialogue and a constructive search for peace.”

Referring to Myanmar, the Archbishop of Yangon said: “Myanmar’s national and ethnic group leaders are able to choose between the path that seeks trust and cooperation for the good of all and so unite the nation,” but he notes that “heightened military operations, by whatever sides, contradict all these enlightened initiatives. Civilians are endangered, even by bombardments purportedly aimed at military targets. An economy under severe strain is put at risk by military adventures. Any spike in contagion in IDP camps, among detained persons, or in crowded spaces, gravely threatens the surrounding populations as well.”

“The fury of the virus illustrates the madness of war,” the Cardinal said, quoting Antonio Guterres.

The message praises nations in various parts of the world that have already responded positively to the call for peace, such as Cameroon, the Philippines, Yemen and Syria. It urges all armed groups to lay down their arms and arm themselves with sincerity and truth” and take “the most difficult path of overcoming differences face to face with courage and intelligence.”

Westminster Justice & Peace Campaigns

Chair of Justice & Peace Letter to Ofcom over Channel 4 Documentary

Read report from Independent Catholic News

22nd April 2020

Complaint to OFCOM
Regarding:  Channel 4  –  Dispatches – ‘The Truth About Traveller Crime’
From: Justice & Peace Commission, Diocese of Westminster

I am writing on behalf of the Justice and Peace Commission of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster to add our voice in complaint about the Channel 4 ‘Dispatches’ programme – ‘The Truth about Traveller Crime’ – which was broadcast on Thursday, 16th April 2020 at 9:00 pm. 

Within our Diocese, which covers most of metropolitan London and the county of Hertfordshire, there are many communities of Gypsies, Roma and Travellers. Very many families in these ethnic minorities are Catholic and are well known to our priests and those providing pastoral care and practical support for them as an integral part of our diverse multicultural urban population.  

We have close knowledge of these ethnic groups and know how they feel keenly their marginalisation and discrimination by many in society. As Fr Dan Mason, National Catholic Chaplain for Gypsies, Roma and Travellers, pointed out in his letter to you “almost every man, woman and child has suffered some form of hate and speech crime”. 

This programme was highly biased and sensationalist,  resulting in a grossly unbalanced and discriminatory picture of this unjustly marginalised group which Fr Dan Mason, the National Roman Catholic Chaplain  to the GRT Community, has already pointed out, “risks stoking racism against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities”.

Coming at a time when minorities in our society appear to be at greatest risk during this pandemic this was particularly irresponsible broadcasting. 

We would like to add our voice in requesting you to ask Channel 4 to apologise for this broadcast. 

With every best wish,

Yours Sincerely,

Fr Dominic Robinson, SJ
Chair, Justice & Peace Commission, Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster

Chaplain to Gypsy, Roma, Travellers protests Channel 4 TV Documentary

Travellers' Mass Westminster Cathedral 2018 - image ICN/JS

Travellers’ Mass Westminster Cathedral 2018 – image ICN/JS

The Catholic Church has warned that last night’s Channel 4 Dispatches The Truth About Traveller Crime, risks stoking racism against Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities.

Fr Dan Mason, National Catholic Chaplain for Gypsies, Roma and Travellers said: “Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities make a valuable contribution to our society, yet face extraordinary levels of racism and discrimination. Almost every man, woman and child has suffered some form of hate speech or hate crime.”

Channel 4’s programme used sensationalist language, selective examples and dubious statistics which will only reinforce this prejudice. Such broadcasts would be dangerous and irresponsible at the best of times. Coming amid a national crisis, and a pandemic that’s hitting minority communities so hard, is particularly unacceptable.

Pope Paul VI reminded us that our GRT sisters and brothers are at the heart of the Church. We will continue to stand in solidarity with them.”

Earlier this month the Catholic Church in England and Wales called for solidarity with GRT communities during the COVID-19 pandemic: See: ICN 1 April 2020 COVID-19: Call for solidarity with Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities www.indcatholicnews.com/news/39258

Earth Day 2020

On Wednesday 22 April, the world will observe International Earth Day.

Leela Ramdeen writes:

Here are some things we can do to demonstrate our love for our earth:

1. Develop an environmental spirituality.

2. Assess our lifestyle and consumption. Practice these four ‘Rs’ for sustainable living: Reuse, recycle, reduce, restore.

3. Prevent pollution, reduce our carbon footprint, and become advocates for God’s Creation.

4. Promote sound environmental management practices e.g. energy efficiency, water conservation, waste avoidance, composting, using environmentally responsible products, and car-pooling.

5. Enjoy nature and live in harmony with it.

Full article in Independent Catholic News

Leela Ramdeen is Chair of the Catholic Commission for Social Justice in the Archdiocese of Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago, (CCSJ) and Director of CREDI

Have You Signed the Petitions?

Thank you to those who have signed the petitions for the UN Global Ceasefire and Jubilee Debt Campaign!

It only takes a short amount of your time but really does make a difference.

Colette Joyce, Justice and Peace Co-ordinator, says: “In these days of crisis, a great number of online petitions have been pouring into the Commission inbox and I have been signing and promoting as many as possible to beg for social change at home and abroad, but found it isn’t easy to keep current when policy is changing on an almost daily basis. We strongly encourage people to continue to put immediate pressure on governments to make urgent and essential policy improvements, but we decided we needed to look at the big picture as well, to see what large-scale changes need to be made in the longer term to move us away from daily fire-fighting.

The COVID19 pandemic is laying bare the staggering inequalities between human beings and the huge injustices that maintain our structurally unfair societies. At the same time, we have discovered that despite, maybe even because of lockdown, there is an increasing capacity for universal co-operation. Now is the time to harness it for the greater good!”

Fr Dominic Robinson, SJ, Justice and Peace Chair, writes: “Pope Francis is urging us to recognise how on a global scale now is the time to make choices which will build a new more human future. The current global crisis requires us to put aside our past divisions and to work together for the health of the whole human race. This requires us to cancel the debt of the poorer nations and to put an end to conflicts between peoples. It is our hope that this radical call will be heeded by those who have the power to bring this about.”

No-one is safe until everyone is safe!

Full report from Independent Catholic News

Peace Groups tell government: We need medical supplies not weapons

First we pause… we stop… so that we can think…and judge properly… what will keep us safe from harm?

Justice & Peace in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster also welcomes this pause of the government’s Integrated Review and urges them to listen to the voices of peace campaigners before they establish new national priorities for Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.

Campaign Against the Arms Trade (CAAT) and Pax Christi are among the organisations approving this decision and urging the government to change track completely. Read full report on Independent Catholic News

Pax Christi International joins Pope Francis and UN in call for global ceasefire

“We are on the same boat, all of us fragile and disoriented, but at the same time important and needed, all of us called to row together, each of us in need of comforting the other. On this boat… are all of us. Just like those disciples … so we too have realized that we cannot go on thinking of ourselves, but only together can we do this.” Pope Francis, 27 March 2020

Responding to the words of Pope Francis, Pax Christi International has joined the United Nations in calling for a Global Ceasefire. More…

An international peace-building process is now in place to arrange truces in every conflict zone.

A notable milestone was reached on 9th April 2020 when Pax Christi and 59 other organisations issued a statement in response to the announcement of a temporary ceasefire in Yemen. The cessation of hostilities is only a first step and the statement called for an immediate end to restrictions and interference to humanitarian aid to provide urgent medical care and measures to prevent the spread of COVID19.

yemen-ceasefire-statement-9-april-2020Download

The Westminster Justice & Peace Commission encourage you to add your voice by signing the Avaaz petition for a Global Ceasefire