Category: News

UN Global Ceasefire Update

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres last month issued an appeal for a global ceasefire amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In a new update, he reports progress in a number of areas. Warning that gains are fragile, he pledges a strong diplomatic push for combatants to lay down their arms. The Secretary-General’s call has been endorsed by all United Nations Messengers of Peace and Advocates for the Sustainable Development Goals as well as more than a million other people around the world.

Well worth clicking on the video – it takes just 1 minute, 40 seconds of your time and is a stirring tribute to the possibility of ending armed conflict while we turn our resources to eradicating our invisible viral enemy.

Time to wash our hands of nuclear weapons

Christian CND writes:

The UK, like the rest of the world, is in the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic. Health threats like this have been listed as ‘Tier 1’ threats to national security for some time, as the government acknowledged it is a genuine threat to our way of life. Despite this fact, funding for nuclear weapons has vastly outstripping funding given to preparing for a pandemic.

The threat of nuclear weapons from other states has not been listed as a top priority threat by the government. So why are we continuing to press ahead with the plans to replace Trident with a new generation of nuclear weapons as a cost of at least £205 billion.

The government must listen to the evidence regarding the threats we face. Their own assessment continually show that it is pandemic health outbreaks, cyber attacks, climate change and terrorism which threaten us. None of these can be tackled with nuclear weapons.

Our friends at CND have launched a new action for you to contact your MP and highlight these inconsistencies, calling for Trident to be scrapped and the money to be diverted to fighting real threats.

See also: Network of Christian Peace Organisations, which includes Pax Christi and Christian CND statement on Coronavirus ceasefire calls –

https://christiancnd.org.uk/2020/03/30/ncpo-statement-on-coronavirus-ceasefire-calls/

Article from Independent Catholic News

Walking with Jesus

Enter into Holy Week with this reflection from Sunday Worship on BBC Radio 4 for Palm Sunday, led by Fr Dominic Robinson, SJ, Chair of the Westminster Justice & Peace Commission. Listen

E-Bulletin April 2020

Fr Dominic Robinson SJ, Chair of the Westminster Justice and Peace Commission, writes:

“Dear Friends,

These are just a few words by way of introduction to this month’s e-Bulletin to hope this finds you in good heart at this strangest and most challenging of times for all of us. This is a time when many are saying they need the community of the Church all the more. In my parish I have sensed the anxiety, fear and loneliness this crisis is bringing, and I know that in your own parish community there will be particular challenges as we face preparing for a long haul. 

As we approach Holy Week we will live the journey to the cross in real time.  But the cross also leads to the new life of the Risen Christ and we must keep that hope in close focus…

j-p-westminster-ebulletin-2020-april.docxDownload

Sign the Petition – Drop the Debt

To Chancellor Rishi Sunak:

Dear Chancellor, at the IMF spring meetings please push the IMF to:

  • Cancel debt payments for countries suffering from the economic impacts of coronavirus,
  • Help countries in trouble to restructure their debt rather than bailing out lenders.

SIGN

Pandemic and Debt

The Jubilee Debt Campaign, founded in 1996, have written to all their supporters to urge the UK to cancel unfair debt at home and abroad:

“The impact of the coronavirus outbreak on debt both at home and abroad could be enormous, so we’re pushing hard to make sure there is a just response.

Global south debt
The economic turmoil caused by coronavirus is pushing indebted countries deeper into crisis. Many of you added your name to the petition to the Chancellor calling for debt cancellation and everyday more countries are speaking out about debt. Together we need to keep campaigning so that the global south is not forgotten amidst all the upheaval caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Debt in the UK
There is a huge risk that more people fall into a debt trap because of the outbreak. Today our letter calling for a £10 billion debt write-off was signed by almost 80 other organisations and academics, and was published in the Financial Times. You can read more about the impact of coronavirus on debt in the UK in our blog.”

UN Secretary General calls for Global Ceasefire

The UN Secretary-General, António Guterres is calling for an immediate Global Ceasefire. He points out the utter futility of continuing conflict and violent loss of life at a time when people of every nation around the world are trying to protect and preserve life threatened by the pandemic.

To read the full text visit the UN website

The online action group Avaaz have started a petition in support of the UN call. To sign go to Avaaz.org

Romero Remembered

BBC Radio 4 Sunday Worship 29th March 2020

A service led by Dr Jennifer Smith, Superintendent Minister of Wesley’s Chapel, London.

Preacher: Edgardo Colon-Emeric, Director of the Center for Reconciliation, Duke University, North Carolina.

Pope’s special Urbi et Orbi blessing 28 March 2020

Millions of people around the world joined Pope Francis online, on television and radio, as he led prayers for an end of the COVID-19 virus on a rainy Friday evening, from the steps of St Peter’s Basilica. ICN News

The hour of prayer began with the gospel story of Jesus calming the storm (Mark 4:35-41) and in his message, the Pope reflected on the storm which has currently affecting the whole world, calling us to take fresh heart from the time of tempest. We can trust in God’s care. He said:

‘This Lent your call reverberates urgently: “Be converted!”, “Return to me with all your heart” (Joel 2:12). You are calling on us to seize this time of trial as a time of choosing. It is not the time of your judgement, but of our judgement: a time to choose what matters and what passes away, a time to separate what is necessary from what is not…’ Read full text