Category: News

Advent Declaration for Fossil Free Churches

This article first appeared on Independent Catholic News

By: Ellen Teague

Could your church join with other local churches and religious communities across the UK in making a commitment to divest from fossil fuels? In doing so, you can support the campaign for UK Churches to divest at a national level.

If your church has existing fossil fuel investments, this would involve a commitment to divest within five years. Churches without fossil fuel investments (for instance those with just a bank account) can make a divestment commitment by pledging not to invest in fossil fuels in the future.

Operation Noah, an ecumenical Christian organisation responding to the climate crisis, is expecting a joint divestment announcement will be made on the weekend of the First Sunday of Advent (Sunday 3 December). If your church would like to join the announcement, please let Operation Noah know by Thursday 30 November.

For more information or to register your divestment commitment, please email James Buchanan on james.buchanan@operationnoah.org.


The text of the Advent Declaration can be found below:

Advent Declaration for Fossil Free Churches

As we prepare for the coming of Christ into our lives this Christmas, we the undersigned wish for our investments to be a sign of hope, contributing to the flourishing of God’s creation, both now and for generations to come.

We support the campaign for fossil free Churches and, conscious of the impact of climate change on our sisters and brothers around the world – especially those living in poverty, we recognise the urgency of the need to shift from fossil fuels to a brighter, cleaner future.

Our church / religious community, [insert name here], therefore commits to divest any existing fossil fuel investments within the next five years (for churches with existing fossil fuel investments) and pledges not to invest in fossil fuels in the future.

For more information see: http://brightnow.org.uk/

November 2017 Events

Sat 4th Nov – Catholic Association for Racial Justice AGM 11am-4pm St Thomas More Church, 9 Henry Rd, London N4 2LH.  Arrivals and registration from 10:30.  The business meeting will start promptly at 11:00, followed by  Mass, lunch, and an afternoon session exploring the theme: Supporting Vulnerable Groups in a Changing World. 

Sat 4th Nov – Revive Congo  will be celebrating our 5th year anniversary at the Haggerston Community Centre E8 4FF    Book tickets through Eventbrite.

Sun 5th Nov – Fairtrade Fayre at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St George Church Enfield EN2 6DS 9.55am   (begins after 9am Mass). All welcome. An excellent place and time to pick up ethical Christmas presents and cards!

7th-8th Nov – AEFJN-UK (Africa-Europe Faith and Justice Network, mainly for religious) Antenna Meeting  Wistaston Hall, Crewe.  The programme includes the film ‘An Inconvenient Sequel’ Al Gore’s follow up film and a talk from Tim Jones of Jubilee Debt.  Contact Bro Eddie Slawinski at  jpicmillhillbritreg@care4free.net

Tues 7th Nov – Catholic Worker Vigil for Refugees (every first Tues of the Month) 12.30 in front of the Foreign Office, King Charles St:  We pray for refugees and call for our government to ensure safe passage for refugees

Fri 10th Nov – Holy Hour of Prayer for Peace St Mellitus Church Tollington Park N4 3AG (Finsbury Park tube) 6pm to 7pm, Vigil  for  Vatican peace conference. Pray and fast for the success of Vatican conference on nuclear weapons (10-11 Nov in Rome).  If you cannot make it to St Mellitus, organise a prayer service of your own.  See Pax Christi website for resources:

http://paxchristi.org.uk/2017/10/21/pray-and-fast-in-support-of-vatican-conference-on-nuclear-weapons-november-2017/

Tues 21st Nov – Catholic Worker Vigil for Refugees (every third Tues of the Month) 12:30pm, by the Home Office, Marsham Street: CW vigil. We pray for refugees and call for our government to ensure safe passage for refugees.

Sat 25th Nov – National Justice and Peace Networking Day St Thomas More Church, 9 Henry Road, London N4 2LH.   10.30-4pm.  Discussion on  Gypsy, Roma and Traveller Network, and opportunities to network and discuss with justice and peace activists and national agencies.  For more information see www.justice-and-peace.org.uk/njpn-meetings or contact Ann at admin@justice-and-peace.org.uk 0207901 4864

Human Rights in a post-Brexit era

Barbara Kentish

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Sr Liz O’Donohoe with 3 students from Queen Mary College who study Human Rights

Around 60 people took part in the Westminster Justice and Peace annual day on Human Rights on Saturday October 28th. The Commission had decided that in this uncertain European transition period, it was time to reflect on the state of human rights across the continent, particularly, but not only, with reference to the migrant and refugee phenomenon. The session began with prayers around the Lampedusa Cross, symbol of welcome onto European shores.

JulieWardMEP

Julie Ward says EU is a Peace Project

Julie Ward MEP for the North West opened with the emphatic statement that the EU was first and foremost a Peace project in its conception, not simply a set of trading agreements. She pointed out in passing that there was not a European refugee crisis, as it is called, but a crisis of solidarity and humanity. Julie came late to politics, only becoming an MEP in 2014 after much campaigning through the arts, on, amongst other things, women’s issues and trafficking. She expressed outrage that no guarantees had been made to EU citizens living abroad whether in the UK or other EU countries. The so-called ‘Henry VIII law would short-circuit discussion and implement government wishes without challenge. The EU is a powerful human rights institution, and while we will remain with the Convention on Human Rights, we will leave the Charter of Fundamental Rights which strengthens many basic rights including those concerning data protection, children, disability, and workplace discrimination. The global achievements of the EU on human rights are not reported back sufficiently in the UK.

Patrick Riordan says the ground of human dignity is the basis of all rights

Dr Patrick Riordan SJ, lecturer in philosophy at Heythrop College, gave a scholarly examination of what we mean by rights, which, he explained, are discussed in very different registers. Lawyers talk about rights as principles to be defended legally. Philosophers try to establish whether there are intrinsic rights to being human, such as for water, air, food, while rights can also be claimed by individuals simply because they have a very strong wish for something. As to the question of why we believe in rights, this depends on what we believe to be the origin of human dignity, – which Christians see as deriving from our being made in God’s image. The dignity of the human provides the common language of rights.

NicoletteBusuttil

Nicolette Busuttil of JRS reminded us that standing up for rights costs us personally

Nicolette Busuttil, of the Jesuit Refugee Service, gave a vivid presentation of the relationship of her work to the rights which for many asylum seekers, are being violated: rights to safety, to work, to have a home, to asylum from persecution and so on. She spoke honestly of how reaching out to refugees can touch us in a very personal way: a man claiming asylum had had to be admitted to hospital for a serious medical procedure, and rang her shortly beforehand, to ask if he could name her as the next-of-kin. He had no-one near to hand when in such a vulnerable situation. Reaching out demands faith and courage, and defending rights becomes a very practical matter.

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l to r Fr Joe Ryan, Julie Ward MEP, Dr Patrick Riordan SJ, Nicolette Busuttil, JRS, Barbara Kentish

After a delicious lunch provided by St John Vianney parish caterers, participants chose from a variety of workshops on action for human rights by partner agencies: the Apostleship of the Sea, the Catholic Association for Racial Justice, the London Catholic Worker, Safe Passage, London Mining Network, Haringey Migrant Support Network and Taxpayers against Poverty, and Human Rights in a Brazilian community.

 

Westminster Justice & Peace Study Day: Human Rights after Brexit

Meet the Speakers

Our Justice and Peace annual day will take place on Saturday 28th October 2017 at St John Vianney Parish Centre, London N15 3QH from 10am. You can get a free ticket through eventbrite here, or by emailing us at justice@rcdow.org.uk

This year we are pleased to welcome Julie Ward MEP, who will talking to us about Human Rights after Brexit, and Dr Patrick Riordan SJ and Nicolette Busuttil, who will talk about the Catholic Church’s thinking, history, and action on human rights. You can find out more about our guest speakers below.

Julie Ward MEP

MEP for the North West

JulieWardMEP

Julie Ward is an active campaigner for equal rights and social justice, most recently organising local events for One Billion Rising, the global movement to raise awareness of violence against women and girls.  Prior to being elected as an MEP, Julie had been working with partners in the EU and beyond for more than a decade. For instance, she was recently involved in an international delegation to Belfast to participate in an all-party discussion about the role of the arts in peace-building processes.  Julie decided to go to university for the first time in 2009 and enrolled on a Masters’ course at Newcastle, studying Education and International Development. This meant learning about economics, human rights and poverty. She graduated in 2012 determined to use her new-found knowledge for the greater good.

Dr Patrick Riordan, SJ

Theologian and philosopher at Heythrop College London

PatrickRiordanSJMy graduate studies in philosophy were in Munich and Innsbruck. I was awarded the doctorate in philosophy by the University of Innsbruck in 1985 for a thesis entitled The Senses of Justice: A Critical Reconstruction of Justice-Talk in Practical Discourse. My M.A. studies had been at the Hochschule für Philosophie, Munich, where I submitted a Masters Thesis in 1981 entitled Das Entstehen des Geistes. Karl Rahner’s Theorie der Selbstüberbietung.  Current teaching:  Undergraduate:  Introduction to Value: I teach the section on Political Issues for first year BA students, Political Philosophy, Marx and Marxism.  Postgraduate:  Together with Dr Anna Abram I lecture on Ethical Issues Today for MA students taking the MA in Contemporary Ethics, and other degrees.  For those taking the MA in Philosophy I lecture on Political Philosophy.

Nicolette Busuttil

Communities of Hospitality Coordinator for the Jesuit Refugee Service

NicoletteBusuttilNicolette joined the Jesuit Refugee Service in 2016 in a new role, as the Communities of Hospitality Coordinator. Her role will be to work with religious communities, parishes and individuals to support them to host some of the refugees who find themselves homeless. The JRS UK “At Home” scheme brings together asylum seekers with people willing to open up their homes and hearts, as destitute asylum seekers in need of respite are matched with individuals, families and religious communities that can offer short-term accommodation.

 

Remember the Calais Children! – Parliamentary Debate

YOU HAVE GIVEN MONEY, CLOTHES, FOOD, TOILETRIES, TO KEEP THE WOLF FROM THE DOOR FOR YOUNG PEOPLE IN CALAIS!  NOW LET YOUR MP KNOW HOW YOU HAVE HELPED, WHAT YOU THINK, AND WHAT YOU WANT DONE!

Remember the Calais Children!  – Parliamentary Debate

https://i0.wp.com/safepassage.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/parallax02.jpg

Safe Passage, a lobbying group allied to Citizens UK, is urging as many as possible to write to their MPs, asking them to attend a Parliamentary debate on October 24th, about the specific issue of stranded young migrants in Calais.  It is known that the numbers run into 100s, and that they are being very roughly treated by French police, who are implementing a policy of not allowing a resurgence of the ‘Jungle’.   To abandon children to this treatment so near to home is a scandal, and UK immigration law is being flouted, as we do not honour the Dubs Amendment, which would allow any unaccompanied minor to enter, and the Dublin 3 Agreement, which would allow one to enter if he or she had family in the UK.

What’s the ASK?

Safe Passage asks as many as possible

a) to write to their MPs (helpful bullet points will follow, as well as being on their website), asking to meet  them and ask them to attend and speak at the debate on October 24th,   AND

b) to be part of the action at Westminster which starts at 12 noon, with a ‘World Citizens’ choir of activists and refugees, followed by lobbying, all before the debate itself.  

Justice and Peace will shortly publish suggested bullet points to go in your letter, (it’s suggested that this should not be an email, but a paper, even handwritten! letter, as this gets taken more seriously), but meanwhile try and plan a letter writing session with friends, to get a letter in the post arriving at Parliament by October 20th.

See website www.safepassage.org.uk  

October 2017 Events

Mon 9th Oct – Launch: Sponsor Refugees: The Citizens UK Foundation for Community Sponsorship of Refugees.  This aspires to be the leading civic society organisation working to grow sponsorship of refugees across Britain.   Time: 5.30pm for a 6pm prompt start. Dinner shall be served and we hope to conclude by 8pm.  Venue: London Muslim Centre, 46-92 Whitechapel Road, London E1 1JQ (map)  Kindly RSVP via Eventbrite.co.uk  –  Sponsor Refugees: The Citizens UK Foundation for Community Sponsorship of Refugees.

Thurs 12th Oct – Hate Crime – day seminar. 10.30am-3.30pm  lunch provided. Harlesden Methodist Church, 25 High Street, NW10 4NE.  Contact London Churches Social Action:  londonchurches@btinternet.com

Tues 17th Oct – Catholic Worker Vigil for Refugees (every third Tues of the Month) 12:30pm, by the Home Office, Marsham Street: CW vigil. We pray for refugees and call for our government to ensure safe passage for refugees.

Sat 28th Oct – Westminster Justice and Peace Annual Study Day on Human Rights after Brexit.  See here for further details.

Tues 31st Oct – The Balfour Centenary:  Britain’s Broken Promise – Time for a new approach.   6.30-8.30pm Methodist Central Hall, Westminster.   Speakers include Baroness Helena Kennedy QC; Sir Vincent Fean, former UK Consul-General, Jerusalem; Rabbi Danny Rich, Senior Rabbi, Liberal Judaism; and more.  Buy tickets from www.Balfourproject.org  or  eventbrite.co.uk

Sun 5th Nov – Fairtrade Fayre   at Our Lady of Mount Carmel and St George Church Enfield EN2 6DS 9.55am   (begins after 9am Mass). All welcome. An excellent place and time to pick up ethical Christmas presents and cards!

Sat 4th Nov – Revive Congo  will be celebrating our 5th year anniversary at the Haggerston Community Centre E8 4FF    Book tickets through Eventbrite.

Tues 7th Nov – Catholic Worker Vigil for Refugees (every first Tues of the Month) 12.30 in front of the Foreign Office, King Charles St:  We pray for refugees and call for our government to ensure safe passage for refugees

7th-8th Nov – AEFJN-UK (Africa-Europe Faith and Justice Network, mainly for religious) Antenna Meeting  Wistaston Hall, Crewe.  The programme includes the film ‘An Inconvenient Sequel’ Al Gore’s follow up film and a talk from Tim Jones of Jubilee Debt.  Contact Bro Eddie Slawinski at  jpicmillhillbritreg@care4free.net

Very successful appeal for unaccompanied minors in Calais to be extended!

Donations arriving in CalaisWe are very grateful to all those who were able to respond, despite the holiday period, to our appeal for goods, clothes and cash for young people in Calais.  Our main contact in Calais is Brother  Johannes Maertens, who with other Catholic Worker members is running a small house for young people stranded in Calais with no means of moving on.  We raised an astonishing £4300 in 5 weeks, and the amount has shot up again in the last week.  Brother Johannes was very grateful and continues to do sterling work there.   We have extended the deadline for donations to November 5th, for those who would still like to contribute.  Here is the link to our Justgiving page.

We are also supporting other charities, such as Secours Catholique in France, and Safe Passage here in the UK are working on the long term issues such as caring for the other migrants (including women and children) drifting back to Calais, and working for legal entry for those who qualify under the Dubs Amendment and Dublin 3 agreement.

Human Rights in a post-Brexit era

HumanRights

These are some of the questions we will look at through talks and workshops. 

  • How will leaving the EU affect our rights as a country?
  • What does the Catholic Church say about Human Rights?
  • Will we still owe allegiance to the UN and European Conventions on Human Rights?
  • Can we still appeal to the European Court of Human Rights?
  • How can Human Rights be upheld for those without recourse to public funds in the UK?  What do Human Rights mean if you are on benefits and dependent on Food Banks?
  • Are Human Rights relevant any more in the light of widespread disregard of international conventions?

SPEAKERS

Julie Ward  MEP for the North West will explain the current and possible future situations for the UK as a country

Patrick Riordan SJ, lecturer in Philosophy at Heythrop College, London, will explain the connection between Scripture, Catholic Social Teaching and Human Rights

Workshops on the following topics:

1              Catholic Worker  – how their work relates to human rights

2              Paul Nicholson Taxpayers against poverty in Haringey – rights of people being evicted from their homes

3              Catholic Association for Racial Justice

4              Haringey Migrants – what rights are being infringed?

5              Safe Passage / Citizens UK – working for rights for unaccompanied migrant minors

6              Apostleship of the Sea

7              Jesuit  Refugee Service

8              London Mining Network

9              Palmers Green Parish – Community Sponsorship for Syrian families

Where?   West Green Parish Centre, 386 West Green Road, London N15 3QL

When?   10am to 4pm  Sat October 28th 2017

Admission Free but sign up through Eventbrite or email us at justice@rcdow.org.uk     And bring lunch to share!

North London parishes mark Creation Day with a picnic and Tug of War

CreationDaySt Mellitus Justice and Peace group organised a splendid picnic in Finsbury Park, north London, to mark the World Day of Prayer for Creation yesterday, Sunday 3 September. The weather was not on their side, but it did not stop all present, including Fr John O Leary, parish priest, from having a great time.

A sprinkling of parishioners from St John Vianney’s West Green and St Thomas More, Manor House Parishes, as well as Catholic Worker members, made it possible to organise two Tug of War teams – St Mellitus versus the Rest of the World.

Alas, St Mellitus proved greatly superior to the latter – a mystery to Fr Joe Ryan, a former Irish champion in this sport! Food to bring and share was abundant so that a pile of respectable leftovers was donated to the nearby Catholic Worker. All appreciated the joys of creation amongst many other picnicking groups. This is St Mellitus’ third Creation picnic. The parish looks forward to many more, with the silly games that are such a fun feature!

September 2017 Events

1 September – 4 October – Creation time Starting on the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation on 1st September, Pope Francis has asked us to mark this period of Creation time with prayer, reflection and action in relation to the Earth and our place upon it.    To help your parish respond, the Liverpool Archdiocesan Justice and Peace Commission have produced a new downloadable resource called Reflections During Creation Time: Praying with the Gospels, stories from our time and Laudato Si’.   This season is also a good opportunity to use CAFOD’s Power to be liturgy or to consider becoming a livesimply award parish.

Mon 4-11 Sept – Stop the Arms Fair Week of Action: London. At the ExCeL Exhibition Centre, Royal Victoria Dock, 1 Western Gateway, London, E16 1XL.  For four days in September 2017, the international weapons industry plans to set up shop in London at a huge arms fair: DSEI. The weapons sold here fuel the death, destruction and injustice perpetrated by militaries, police forces and at borders around the world.  This year the week of action has multiple actions planned on each day.      www.stopthearmsfair.org.uk/events/

  • Thurs 7th Solidarity Without Borders: The arms and security industry profits from a cycle of repression and violence which marks all our lives, from fuelling conflicts and state oppression with weapons to policing national borders and criminalising migrants and other vulnerable communities. But our resistance is powerful. Join us as we make links between the issues to build solidarity without their borders.
  • Fri 8th   Conference at the Gates: The military and the arms trade plan in increasingly significant role in universities and schools. As government funding is drained from universities, the arms trade and the military are moving in. On the Friday, academics, students and other will come together for a day of workshops and panel discussions exploring the militarisation of our education; and this will take place at the gates of one of the world’s largest arms fairs.
  • Sat 9th Big Day of Action: The week of action will culminate in the Big Day of Action on Saturday, a colourful and powerful carnival of resistance, with music, art, drama and creative action to celebrate our movement. But we need you to make it as big as it can be. Come and celebrate a successful week of action, and help cause havoc for the arms fair’s organisers.
  • Sun 10th War Resisters International: War Resisters International will hold a public event on international militarism and the arms trad e, bringing activists from countries affected by the arms trade into dialogue with activists from exporting countries.

Sat 9th Sept – Votive Mass of the Sacred Heart  will be celebrated at Tower Hill at 1pm during which Fr Oliver Barry OMI will bless an image of Venerable Mother Magdalen Taylor and have it installed in the Sacred Heart Chapel, English Martyrs Church, Tower Hill, E1 8BB.  Remember to check the tubes and buses in advance of your travel.  Kindly invite any of your family and friends to join us for this celebration of a future saint in the diocese of Westminster.

Sat 16th Sept – Romero, El Salvador and Harvest Fast Day Briefing (6th October)  10am – 12 noon: a talk by Clare Dixon from our Latin America team. Clare has been playing a major part in CAFOD’s work to keep up work begun in Blessed Oscar Romero’s time to ensure that the voice of the poor and persecuted is not silenced in El Salvador.  This year is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Blessed Oscar who was martyred in March 1980, while he was Archbishop of El Salvador and Clare will talk about his legacy and present work there.  Harvest Fast Day will focus on Blessed Oscar and our current work in El Salvador.   Please join us for this volunteer meeting, which will be held at CAFOD Westminster Volunteer Centre, First Floor, Church of Christ the King, 29 Bramley Road, Oakwood, N14 4HE.  Book via Eventbrite here or contact CAFOD Westminster by e-mail westminster@cafod.org.uk or 0208 449 6970.

Thurs 19th Sept – Human Trafficking- Responding Locally, by Caritas Westminster and the Santa Marta Group  18:30 – 20:30. .  Based in Camden, Islington or Brent? Want to learn more about Human Trafficking?  Join us to hear about what you can do locally to help combat human trafficking and modern slavery. Caritas Westminster and Santa Marta Group in conjunction with Local and Met Police will explain why human trafficking is an issue, the extent of the problem in London, and talk about practical actions you can take. Hear from experts in the field of human trafficking and modern slavery. Speakers include:  Bishop Nicholas Hudson, Mick Duthie- Deputy Director of the Santa Marta Group, Detective Superintendent Treena Fleming of the Camden and Islington Police, Met Police, Caritas Westminster.  Refreshments Provided. Immaculate Heart of Mary RC Church Parish Hall, 1 Stafford Road, NW6 5RS

Sat 23 Sept – Romero Day, London  With activities and events to mark the Romero Centenary, culminating in 3pm Evensong at Westminster Abbey; preacher – Lord Rowan Williams including the debut of a new piece by James MacMillan, commissioned for the occasion.  For further information contact romerotrust@gmail.com

Sat 23 Sept – NJPN Open Networking Day,  10.30 – 1.00  CAFOD  Romero House, 55 Westminster Bridge Road, London SE1 7JB  Speaker: Mike Duthie, Deputy Director of the Santa Marta Group on Church and Police Combatting Modern Slavery, Plus: opportunities to network and get updates from justice and peace activists and national agencies For more information see www.justice-and-peace.org.uk/njpn-meetings or
contact Ann at admin@justice-and-peace.org.uk, 020 7901 4864
Followed by Evensong to commemorate Bl Oscar Romero, at Westminster Abbey (see above),

Mon 2nd Oct – Non-Violence Works!  London event 2:30 pm – 5:00 pm  Amigo Hall, St George’s Cathedral, Westminster Bridge Rd, London SE1 7HY.   An opportunity for the Christian community to engage in creative  peacemaking.  With speakers Marie Dennis, co-president of Pax Christi international who has played a leading role in the joint Vatican-Pax Christi International initiative on Non-violence, and Maria Stephen, senior policy fellow at the US Institute of Peace.  Open event but RSVP Pax Christi info@paxchristi.org.uk