January / February 2002 No 228 Online Contents:

• Keeping hope alive
• New Bishop for Pax Christi
• A Summer Route for Peace
• New Pax Christi Exhibition
• Reflection

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Journals and press reports for the beginning of the New Year have made for rather sad reading. The civilian causalities in the war with Afghanistan have been estimated at 3,767 according to US economics professor Marc Herold. Yet we have still to see or hear of these in the mainstream press. The declared 'war against terrorism' continues and we have yet to see which country will become the next target. As tensions rise between India and Pakistan we read that India has laid thousands of antipersonnel mine across its western border with Pakistan. At the same time, British companies are due to exhibit at an arms fair in New Delhi early this year and British Aerospace Systems, are in the process of negotiating a deal with India for 60 Hawk jets. BAE Systems is also likely to benefit from the £28 million deal with Tanzania to provide a military air traffic control system. Little wonder then that BAE Systems was highly rated in The Times listing of 'good stocks' for 2002. In Bethlehem, Christmas was all but 'cancelled' as violence and intimidation prevented travel in and through the region.

However, a vision of peace is offering hope and being kept alive by Pax Christi members and supporters around the country. This is evidenced by the huge demand we received for prayer and vigils materials for Afghanistan and the Middle East during the autumn. Many joined with our invitation to make Friday a day of fasting and prayer for peace while others sent messages of solidarity and support to the people of Israel and Palestine which were read out at a peace march between Bethlehem and Jerusalem on 31st December. By the time you read this, Peace Sunday will have been celebrated. The office was inundated with requests for materials from all over the country - perhaps because of the precarious state of our world. We hope that this will introduce thousands to the work of Pax Christi and the possibility of active peacemaking in the future. And looking ahead, you will see in this newsletter that there are plenty of campaigning and reflection activities to choose from to strengthen and support you in your own peacemaking.

We hope that many will join us in London, or organise their own activity, on Ash Wednesday for our annual witness against Britain's nuclear weapons programme The United States has flagged its intention to withdraw
from the Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty sending a very cynical message to the rest of the world community. We need to keep watch on our own Government and its own disarmament obligations and agreements. Creating exchange opportunities for young people is another option for the year ahead. Some of you may be tempted by the opportunity of taking part in the Pax Christi International Route in Russia in the summer or joining the International Youth Seminar in London in April. The CCND Treaties Day School in February, the Lobby of Parliament in March and the variety of justice and peace training events around the country will provide opportunities for members and supporters to update themselves on key security issues and develop skills in networking and group work.

Something for everyone we hope. We must not be disheartened. Amidst all these war and rumours of wars, the seeds we sow in our work for peace are bearing fruit.

Pat Gaffney
General Secretary

We offer our very warm welcome to Bishop Malcolm McMahon OP, Bishop of Nottingham Diocese who recently became our new National President. Bishop Malcolm takes on this role from Bishop Victor Guazzelli, who has faithfully served Pax Christi for more than twenty years.

Speaking of his role, Bishop Malcolm said: "I am delighted to be able to work with Pax Christi, an organisation I have admired for many years. Together we can work to serve the cause of peace, as the Gospel demands, in a world, which is in need of the practice of nonviolence, healing and reconciliation. I know that Bishop Guazzelli has given much time and energy to support Pax Christi during his time a President. I hope that I will be able to follow in his footsteps."

Bishop Malcolm with Executive Committee members, Rosemary Read and John Ruming

Pax Christi members will have an opportunity to meet Bishop Malcolm at our Annual General Meeting that will take place on 8th June in Derby. Please put this date in your diary now.

Last summer I was fortunate in having the opportunity to attend the Russian Summer Route for Peace. Supported by the Pax Christi International Youth Section, it aimed to bring young (and youngish!) people together from different nationalities and to give them opportunities to meet each other and explore issues of peace and reconciliation together. This was the first time the Route had taken place in Russia.

The Route began in St. Petersburg and finished in Moscow, also visiting the cities of Novgorod and Pskov as well as rural areas. The organisers were the "Apostolic City- Nevskaya Perspectiva" Interchurch Partnership in St. Petersburg and the Moscow Peace Studies Group. The four themes within the week were peace making and the churches; peace making between different ethnic cultures; peace making and the environment; and peace making to relieve social tension.

There were more than 40 participants from 12 different countries including the UK, Russia, Belgium, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Hungary, Poland, the Netherlands, Lithuania, Belarus and Brazil. On the first night we enjoyed a social evening round a bonfire and to prayed together with people from catholic and orthodox traditions.

Archpriest Vladimir Fedorov of the Interchurch Partnership formally welcomed the group and blessed the Route and its participants. He then told us about the project and its ecumenical work in the city. Later in the day I joined the group that visited the Nochlezhka shelter for homeless people. I found this of particular interest due to the fact I have worked with homeless people in this country. The issues involved were very similar but bore no comparisons to the scale of the problem and adequacy of the response. The project had so few resources and yet was faced with an almost overwhelming numbers of people sleeping rough or in temporary accommodation. Later in the evening the whole group gathered for a visit to the Mothers of Soldiers Group, St. Petersburg. This was a very moving and even disturbing talk about abuses and victimisation in the army and about their work to support conscientious objectors and deserters from the army. I was struck by the dedication and determination to work for peace and justice by the workers in both the homeless project and the soldiers mother`s group in the face of immense problems and adversity.

In the city of Novgorod we were greeted by the mayor and city officials. Here I visited the Cathedral of Sophia (the oldest in Russia) to meet with the archpriest Alexander Ranne to discuss the religious situation in Russia. We talked about how the orthodox church is growing since the fall of the Soviet Union, the ecumenical situation and the church's relationship with the state. President Vladimir Putin had visited the cathedral just one hour before we did. Afterwards we had more opportunities to see the sights of the city and a most enjoyable boat trip along the river to Lake Ilmen.

We moved on to the city of Pskov and had an opportunity to see the old Kremlin and other parts of the city. In the afternoon we travelled to visit the beautiful Pechyory monastery and the Slavic Springs waterfalls in the village of Izborsk. The next day I joined a smaller group looking at human rights issues in prisons and met with a local prison group "Popechitel" that works in the local prison in Pskov. In the evening we were hosted by the orthodox parish of the Saints Women Spice Bearers and the local priest shared his experiences and told us of the work of the parish.

We travelled overnight to Moscow. After a short rest we gathered at the House of Mary project who told us of their work with older people and those experiencing problems with alcohol. We also had presentations from organisations working with young people, orphans, and drug users as well as church groups. Our final day gave us the opportunity to attend Divine Liturgy at the newly built orthodox Cathedral of Christ the Saviour before our final review meeting, prayers and social celebration.

I was greatly struck by the genuine and warm welcome we received from the Russian people who we met. Many shared openly their stories and experiences and their hopes and fears for the future. It is a country of great beauty and diversity and although it faces many social, economic and political difficulties. Many of the people are willing to face these and work for the common good of all.

The Route is a reminder that peacemaking can and does start with individuals who reach out across national, religious and other barriers, to form real and lasting understanding and friendship. The Route continues with all its participants and by ongoing contact by e-mail, letters and visits.

Mike Fitzsimons

A further outcome of our Review Process has been the development of an exhibition on the work of Pax Christi. This is available for use in schools, parishes, local libraries and wherever else you may be able to arrange for an exhibition to be held. It is a 6 panel exhibition (A2 size 594mm x 420 mm) outlining our history, motivation and approaches to peacemaking produced in an attractive and contemporary format.

You can book the exhibition by contacting the office. We charge postage and packing at a rate of £10.00 per booking.

Extracts from peace message of Michel Sabbah, Patriarch of Jerusalem and International President of Pax Christi

On this last day of the year, we, Israelis and Palestinians, Moslems, Jews and Christians, and internationals from all over the world, in solidarity with both peoples of this land, wanted to be united in this walk for peace, in Bethlehem and Jerusalem, to end this past year of death and hatred with a sign and a symbol of hope, and to invite our political leaders, to start seriously a new year of justice and peace.

Today we affirm that Palestinians and Israelis want peace and do not want more killing or more humiliations or more insecurity.

The motto of our walk is double: end the occupation and open Jerusalem. End the occupation, because the core of the conflict is this: Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands started in 1967. Give back the Palestinians their land and their freedom. With this you will give the Israeli people their security.

Open Jerusalem. Jerusalem the holy city for all believers of the three monotheistic religions must always be open. Free Jerusalem from its security bonds and ties and allow God to be seen in His city by all. No security reasons should close it. Give back to Jerusalem its true face and identity, the city of God, and of all God's children.

All of us here present say that peace with justice is possible. Peace is in your hands, leaders of Israel, whom we bear in our prayers and whom we call to "hammer their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into sickles. - So that - nation will not lift sword against nation, no longer will they learn how to make war" (Is 2:4). We call upon you to become peacemakers. All violence, all fear, the whole conflict, will come to an end, if you put an end to the occupation which started in 1967.

With our brothers and sisters, Moslems and Jews, and with all our international brothers and sisters, and leaders of all the Churches of the Holy Land, Orthodox, Catholics and Protestants we too lament in Bethlehem, " we hear lamenting and weeping bitterly" as said Prophet Jeremiah (Mt 2,18). We hear the children of Palestine and of Israel today in their fear, calling for justice and for security…

"Blessed are the peacemakers, they shall be recognised as children of God" (Mt 5:9). You all here living, Israelis and Palestinians, Moslems, Jews and Christians, do not be afraid to be peacemakers. All you internationals, Churches of the world international community, do not be afraid to help us, to come to reconciliation in this land of God. Glory to God in the highest heaven and on earth peace on those he loves" (Lk 2:14).

November/December 2001: No 227
September/October 2001: No 226
July/August 2001: No 225
Mar/Apr 2001: No 224
Jan/Feb 2001: No 223
Nov/Dec 2000 No 222
July/August 2000: No 220