Join Pax Christi England and Wales, the Passionist Community, and Pax Christi International for an event aimed at amplifying the voices of the Christian community in the Holy Land, on Tuesday, 26th November at 3.30pm GMT (UK) / 5.30 PM Palestine Time.
Speakers:
Fr Gabriel Romanelli, IVE, Parish Priest of the Holy Family Parish, Gaza
Sami Al-Yousef, Chief Executive Officer, Latin Patriarchate, Jerusalem
As the war reaches its 416th day, Christians in the region face unimaginable hardships. Yet their unwavering faith remains a beacon of hope. This gathering provides us with the opportunity to hear directly from those enduring these harrowing times, as they share their struggles, hopes, and resilience.
Through the testimonies of Fr Gabriel Romanelli and Sami Al-Yousef, we will bear witness to the profound humanitarian and spiritual crisis affecting the Christian community in Gaza.
This event is more than a call to awareness: it is an invitation to act, to pray, and to stand in solidarity with those who continue to endure, love, and hope against all odds.
In response to COP29’s final statement, Christian Aid has said: “People of the global south came to these talks needing a lifeboat out of the climate crisis. But all they got was a plank of wood to cling to.
“This summit has been hijacked by rich countries who have failed to negotiate in good faith. The cost of their actions here will be paid in the lives of vulnerable people on the front lines of climate breakdown.
“Developing countries are already responding day in and day out to the climate emergency, dealing with homes, crops and livelihoods destroyed due to droughts, storms and floods. They came here seeking solidarity and partnership to tackle a problem they didn’t create, but have left with scraps.
“Finance is the cornerstone of climate action. It is essential to help developing countries deal with the impacts of climate change. This level of funding simply won’t cut it.
“Rich countries knew they had all year to prepare for this meeting, where they were required by the Paris Agreement to agree a new finance goal that met the needs of the developing world. They have failed to do that with this paltry finance offer.”
Barbara Kentish outside the Home Office 18 Nov 2024. Photo: Pat Gaffney
This month those gathered at the regular Prayer Vigil outside the Home Office remembered the following people who died a year ago, in November 2023, attempting to reach sanctuary in Europe:
Date
Details
?
8 people from Gambia died of exhaustion during a 15-day boat journey from Gambia to the Canaries. Their bodies were thrown in the sea; 55 survived.
3/11
A boy died from exhaustion in hospital, having arrived at El Hierro (Spain) by boat from West Africa one day earlier; 83 survived.
4/11
134 people from Senegal, including at least 3 children and 6 women, drowned when a Canaries-bound boat on the way from Senegal sank off Nouadhibou (Morocco);15 191 survived. 2 people died of unknown cause, their bodies found on board a boat during rescue off the Canary island of El Hierro. 2 others died on the way to hospital. A man of 23 from Syria died, his body found by nature researchers in Białowieża Forest (Poland) near Narewka River at the Poland-Belarus border.
5/11
15 people were presumed drowned off Nouadhibou (Morocco), missing from 7 canoes on the way from Senegal to the Canaries. 13 people, including 2 children, from sub-Saharan Africa died of hunger and thirst on the way to Spain, their bodies in state of decay found in boats off Nouadhibou. A body, probably of a woman, wearing a white shirt & tied to a tire used as a life vest was found between rocks on the coast of Lampedusa (Italy).
6/11
Dinh Anh Nguyen, a man of 37 from Vietnam, was hit by a train near Calais (France) while walking on railway tracks in the dark. 182 people from Guinea, Mali, and Senegal drowned off Gadaye (Senegal) on the way from Bargny (Senegal) to the Canary Islands (Spain). 87 survived.
8/11
17 people from Algeria drowned when a boat went missing on the way to Murcia (Spain) after embarkation from Mostaganem (Algeria). 2 men, both aged around 30, drowned off Gadaye (Senegal) on the way to the Canary Islands, their bodies found at Diamalaye beach (Senegal); 87 survived.
9/11
A body was found by the Spanish Civil Guard, after a boat from West Africa arrived south of El Hierro (Spain); 79 survived. Mohammed Amine Saidat, a man of 26 from Morocco, was hit by a train in Bolzano (Italy) while looking for shelter for the night. He had camped near the site of his death.
10/11
A man’s body was found by journalists while reporting in the Kupa Riverbed in Netretić (Croatia) on the Croatia-Slovenia border.
11/11
7 people, including an infant, drowned, their bodies recovered in the Mediterranean Sea off Sfax (Tunisia) by the Tunisian National Guard. 2 people from sub-Saharan Africa drowned on the way from Sfax (Tunisia) to Lampedusa (Italy) when they fell from a small boat when rescuers neared; 67 survived.
12/11
A body was found by Belarus border guards in Belarus near the 82nd Belarusian pillar of the border fence with Latvia. A man of about 30 from sub-Saharan Africa drowned off Gadaye (Senegal) on the way to the Canary Islands, his body found at Déni Guedj Nord beach (Senegal); 87 survived. A man of 29 from Eritrea died of unknown causes on the way to Lampedusa (Italy), his body found on board a boat by Italian coast guards.
13/11
7 people from Liberia, Palestine, Syria and elsewhere, including a child and 2 women, drowned when a rubber boat on the way to Chios (Greece) sank in stormy weather off Cesme (Turkey); 6 survived. Abdelbassit Mohammad, a man of 22 from Sudan, had his throat slit during a brawl between migrants under the Mollien bridge in Calais; his attacker fled.
14/11
11 people from Algeria drowned in the Mediterranean sea, off Murcia (Spain) on the way from Mostaganem (Algeria). 16 people drowned when a boat hit rocks on the way from Senegal to the Canaries (Spain), their bodies found on a beach of Lagouera (Morocco).
15/11
A person from Gambia died of exhaustion during a 15-day boat journey from Gambia to the Canaries, their body found during rescue; 55 survived. 19 people from Algeria drowned when a boat missing on the way to the Balearic Islands (Spain) after embarkation from Algiers (Algeria).
Mid Nov.
A person died of unknown causes on the way from Africa to Lampedusa (Italy), buried in Palma on the island of Sicily.
16/11
19 people from Algeria drowned when a boat went missing on the way to the Balearic Islands (Spain) after embarkation from Algiers (Algeria).
17/11
35 people, including 2 children and 5 women, from Morocco and sub-Saharan Africa, drowned, when a boat capsized in high waves south of Guelmim (Morcco) on the way to the Canaries; 10 survived. Baysal Recep, a man of 42, and Geçsöyler Mehmet Ali, a man of 37, both from Turkish Kurdistan, were hit by a truck and killed while walking on the emergency lane of the A16 near the Calais ferry terminal. An Albanian man of 37 died in hospital after attempting suicide in Brook House removal centre in Gatwick in fear of deportation.
19/11
18 people from north Africa went missing on the way to Alicante (Spain) after embarkation from Tipaza (Algeria).
20/11
A girl of 2 from Guinea died of unknown causes on a rescue ship on the way to port after shipwreck off Capo Ponente (Italy); 43 survived 8 people from sub-Saharan Africa, including 2 children, drowned on the way from Sfax (Tunisia) to Lampedusa (Italy) after shipwreck off Capo Ponente (Italy); 43 survived.
21/11
A woman of 36 drowned off Lampedusa (Italy) on the way from Sfax (Tunisia) when a metal boat sank during rescue; 46 people, including her sister, survived.
22/11
Mulu Wolde Tsehaye, a woman of 34, and Eskiel Sebsbea Tsgaye, a woman of 37, both from Ethiopia, and a man named Aman, drowned when a Britain-bound boat capsized after leaving a beach near Equihen-Plage (France); 58 survived.
26/11
Mikhail Zubchenko, a man of 24 from Russia, committed suicide after 14 months in Asylum Seekers Center in Echt (Netherland). He was a LGBT asylum seeker.
27/11
A person from Egypt was found frozen to death in the outskirts of Sofia (Bulgaria), part of group of 10 migrants; 9 survived.
29/11
A body was found on an inflatable boat during rescue off Gran Canaria (Spain); 50 survived. 2 people drowned, having been thrown into the sea near Cadiz (Spain) by traffickers using a fast drugs-smuggling boat from Morocco; 23 survived.
Is the Assisted Suicide Bill about Compassion, Giving Choice and Dignity?
Calling All People of Faith and those of None. The Catholic Union and Farm Street Church have organised an important event on Sunday 24 November, 3-5pm at Farm Street Church, 114 Mount Street, London W1K 3AH.
Come and hear from experts in the field who have serious concerns about a possible change in the law. Our panel includes:
– Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE DL, multi gold medal winning paralympic athlete and advocate for disability rights
– Dr Matthew Doré, Consultant Palliative Care Physician
– Professor Julian Hughes, Former Consultant Old Age Psychiatrist
– Professor David Albert Jones, Professor of Bioethics.
The evening of 14th November 2024 saw the third Diocese of Westminster ‘Love in Action’ Volunteering Awards, hosted by Caritas Westminster in Westminster Cathedral Hall. The event recognised volunteers from across the diocese for outstanding commitment to voluntary service, with finalists selected from a pool of over 60 nominations.
The ceremony opened with a welcome from Cardinal Vincent Nichols and Richard Harries, Director of Caritas Westminster, and included a speech by previous award-winner, Sharon Joseph.
Awards were distributed by Bishop Paul McAleenan, Chair of Caritas Westminster, with finalists, their nominators, family and friends joined by staff and supporters of Caritas Westminster.
The five categories recognised individuals and groups of volunteers who serve in a variety of contexts; from social action initiatives in parishes and schools to young volunteers, lifetime achievement and fulfilling a range of tasks for their communities.
Addressing the finalists, Bishop Paul said: ‘This evening is an acknowledgment of your achievements, and an affirmation of everything that you do. Thank you to all the participants for your great generosity in reaching out to others, and for bringing your goodness into the world.’
Winners included primary school students who participated in the Caritas Ambassadors programme, Sixth Form pupils involved in student chaplaincy, long-serving parishioners who are the backbone of their communities, and two projects founded during the pandemic to support the homeless and vulnerable.
The Young Volunteer of the Year Award went to Kai Shah, who at just 11 years old has already shown great dedication to preparing meals for and serving the homeless. This year’s Lifetime Achievement Award was named after Ernest Bernard Ronald Palmer, who volunteered at Caritas St Joseph’s for almost 40 years until the age of 103. The award was given to Mary Foster, for 50 years of service to her parish and for co-founding the charity Acton Homeless Concern.
‘Volunteers bring to life the Church’s teaching on the ministry of charity, and it is a privilege for Caritas Westminster to celebrate the efforts of parishioners who have gone the extra mile in loving their neighbours,’ said Richard Harries. ‘This year’s finalists are wonderful examples of love in action, and we are excited to support them and thousands of other social action volunteers across the diocese in the coming year.’
Meet the winners for each category here, or read about all of this year’s finalists here.
Faith representatives outside British Museum before the start of the march. Photo: ICN
Source: Jo Siedlecka, ICN
Faith groups were among thousands of climate justice campaigners who marched peacefully through central London on Saturday 16 November 2024, accompanied by colourful banners, chanting and drumming. They lobbied the UK government and world leaders to work towards climate justice, and to do it urgently. They included representatives of Christian Climate Action, Green Christian, Laudato Si Movement, Columban Justice, Peace and Ecology Team, Columban Sisters, Faithful Companion of Jesus Sisters, Quakers in Britain and Faith for the Climate Network.
The march was part of an annual Global Day of Action for Climate Justice which always takes place midway through the annual international United Nations Climate Conference, which this year is in Baku, Azerbaijan 11- 22 November. Other marches lobbied COP29 in 25 places across Britain, including Brighton, Southampton, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle, and Glasgow.
The London march – organised by more than 60 groups – started at the British Museum, which has a £50 million partnership with the oil company BP. Speakers argued that the fossil fuel industry has no place in the arts. And the route was via the HQ of Azerbaijani oil company SOCAR, co-owner of the BTC pipeline with BP, which supplies nearly 30% of Israel’s oil.
At its end in Downing Street, a rally called for the UK government to end its reliance on fossil fuels and to commit to paying climate reparations…
It is more than two weeks since the conclusion of the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod on Synodality ( 2 – 27 October 2024).
While there have been several unofficial English language translations of the Final Document, an English ‘working translation’ of the Synod Assembly Final Document has finally been published:
A special evening of prayer and music with guests and an Aid to the Church in Need award ceremony will take place on Wednesday, 20 November at the Brompton Oratory, Brompton Rd, London, SW7 2RP.
The chief celebrant will be Bishop Nicholas Hudson.
The Oratory will be illuminated in red to shine a light on Christian persecution, giving hope to those suffering around the world.
#RedWednesday Programme – The Oratory, London
6:30pm: Gathering below Church steps
Be part of the #RW show reel filming. Ahead of group photograph at 6:45pm.
7:00pm: Holy Mass at The Oratory Please join us for sung Holy Mass to remember our persecuted brothers and sisters in prayer. Celebrated by Bishop Nicholas Hudson, Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster. Concelebrating will be Archbishop Linus Neli of Imphal, India and Monsignor Michael Nazir-Ali.
8:10pm: #RW Award Presentation Presentation of ACN’s #RedWednesday Courage to be Christian Award. Followed by a short update on ACN’s ‘Persecuted & Forgotten?’ report and how you can help.
8:30pm: Reception Enjoy refreshments and conversation with ACN staff and benefactors.
Fossil fuel companies should be taxed more to provide funds for countries on the frontline of the climate crisis, Anglican and Catholic bishops have told ministers.
In a letter to the government, the Rt Rev Graham Usher for the Church of England and Rt Rev John Arnold for the Catholic Church in England and Wales called for higher taxes on major polluters. The pair are lead bishops for environmental affairs in their respective churches.
The letter comes ahead of the start of the COP29 climate talks in Azerbaijan next week. Proposals to tax large polluters are expected to be included in negotiations at the summit on how to fill gaps in funding for developing countries hardest hit by the climate emergency – known as ‘international climate finance’.
Poorest communities ‘paying impossible price’ for climate crisis
Bishops Usher and Arnold argue in the letter that the funding gap means climate-vulnerable countries are “being forced to pay an impossible price for measures to protect their communities and rebuild from climate disasters”.
“The fact that those who have contributed least to causing the climate crisis, face an unaffordable bill for its impacts is an injustice we cannot tolerate as a country.
“We urge you to ensure your government plays the strongest possible role in remedying this injustice.”
Tax those ‘profiting from environmental damage’
Taxing polluting activities undertaken by the wealthiest companies and individuals would raise funds from those who are “profiting from environmental damage” and “help to incentivise the transition to renewables”, the bishops state.
The bishops also warn ministers that leaders at COP29 must agree to provide more climate finance as grants, arguing that loans will only “add to low-income countries’ existing and crippling debts”.
Providing further sources of finance by cancelling debts for countries facing a debt crisis would prevent such countries facing a “choice between paying huge interest bills to overseas lenders and paying to protect their communities from the climate crisis”, the bishops argue.
COP29 began in Baku, Azerbaijan on 11 November, and is due to finish on 22 November.
The Catholic Association for Racial Justice (CARJ) Annual General Meeting will take place on Saturday 16 November 2024 at 11.00am at St Thomas More Church, 9 Henry Rd, London N4 2LH. The theme is: ‘Practical steps for achieving the Racial Justice Agenda’. The event is open to all members and friends of CARJ
Papers for the AGM (including the Annual Report, the Accounts, papers relating to the Election of Trustees, membership forms etc) here – please notify CARJ if you would want hard copies of the papers sent to you.
Please keep an eye on the CARJ website over the coming weeks (here) for the names of nominated Trustees. There is also a form for you to nominate a trustee to CARJ.
Arrival and registration starts from 10.30am. The business meeting commences promptly at 11am followed by Mass, lunch, and an afternoon of talks and discussion relating to practical step for achieving Racial Justice.
Food and drink will be available across the day.
It is helpful, for catering purposes, to know in advance who is coming. If possible, please contact CARJ by phone- 020 8802 8080 or email- info@carj.org.uk beforehand. However, please feel free to turn up on the day even if you have not booked.
Directions: St Thomas More Church is a short walk from Manor House Underground Station. Anyone who is driving has to enter the complex of streets around Henry Rd by turning off Green Lanes into Gloucester Drive.
To join CARJ or renew your membership, please email info@carj.org.uk for membership form.
Diocese of Westminster Justice and Peace Commission 