Welcome to the Birmingham Diocesan Justice & Peace Commission Website.
The Commission aims to inform on the theology, spirituality and practice of Justice & Peace throughout the Birmingham Roman Catholic Archdiocese.
The Commission particularly encourages parishes and schools to get involved in the Justice & Peace movement. It covers areas as diverse as global issues such as cancelling the debts of the world's poorest countries; the International Peace Movement; environmental issues; housing; homelessness; supporting refugees and asylum seekers and human rights.
Within this site you can find information about important dates within the Justice & Peace year, links to other agencies involved with Justice & Peace and resources to download to help in your existing or new Justice & Peace group. Newly included in these resources is a PDF downloadable copy of the 2008/9 events calendar and other agencies.
The latest issue of the diocesan J&P Newsletter, Summer 2010, and previous Newsletters, are available to read and download from the Documents to Download tab, left, as pdf documents.
Westminster Diocese are producing a booklet called "Your Kingdom Come" - daily meditations and group reflection on Catholic Social teaching. It costs £1 per copy, 80p for more than ten copies. Designed for their faith sharing groups it could be used at any time and contains material for six weeks. More on rcdow.org.uk or Mark Nash 020 7931 6043 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 020 7931 6043end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 020 7931 6043end_of_the_skype_highlighting begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 020 7931 6043end_of_the_skype_highlighting or marknash@rcdow.org.uk
The Encyclical Letter from our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI "Caritas in Veritate"
is available to read and download from the Documents to Download tab
(left) both in full and as a summary produced by Progressio.
"Choosing the Common Good":
statement by the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales, is available
to read and to download from the "Documents to Download" tab at the
left.
Minutes of recent J&P Commission Meetings are also available to read and download as above.
The Sixth Birmingham Diocesan Justice and Peace Assembly, 2010is to be held on Saturday 16th October in St Peter's Secondary School in Solihull
as before.
The full Programme for
the day with Registration Form is accompanied again this year with
expanded details of the Workshops, their leaders and subject matter, enabling
you to make an informed decision.
These are can be read and downloaded from the tab "Documents to Download" on the left of this main website home page.
We wish to
reassure you that the audio facilities at the school are much improved, and
apologise to those delegates whose enjoyment was curtailed last year; we hope
this will be an even more spiritually uplifting Assembly, to encourage us all
forward with a high degree of Hope, optimism and action where appropriate.
Do please make
your application as early as possible since this will help us enormously in the
planning of Workshops, catering and budgeting to enable the day to run
efficiently.
We should be
grateful if you could pass these details on to anyone else you know who may be
interested in attending the Assembly, and who may wish to receive Justice &
Peace information, now and in the future, and send me their contact details
(name, postal address and/or Email address) to add to our Database.
More
Programme/Registration Forms, and A4 posters to be displayed on
notice boards, can be sent to you - please request these from :
"God or Mammon?" a focus on the
Global Financial crisis and
Action at Parish Level -A Report on the Fifth Annual Assembly, appearing in Catholic Today and the Universe.
The impact that the global financial crisis of the last twelve months
has had at a national and parish level, and in particular its impact on
families and individuals, was the focus of the Fifth Annual Assembly of the
Birmingham Justice and Peace Commission., held at St Peter’s Secondary School
in Solihull in the West Midlands, on Saturday 17th October 2010.
The successful day-long conference on the theme of “God or Mammon?” was
attended by more than 150 delegates from parishes throughout the Archdiocese of
Birmingham, other churches, organisations and justice and peace groups around
the West Midlands.
The opening reflection was given by Bishop William Kenney CP, at present
Diocesan Administrator, and a member of the Justice and Peace Commission.
Bishop Kenney with the two keynote speakers, Clifford Longley (left) and George Gelber.
Delegates listened intently to two thought-provoking keynote addresses
and took part in 14 discussion groups and workshops (right), where plans of action were
formulated to help people at parish level to understand the key issues more
deeply.
George Gelber, until recently Senior Policy Adviser at CAFOD, spoke
vividly about the financial crisis and its impact on the poor. He described how
the initial financial crisis had broadened out into a fully-fledged development
crisis, affecting numerous areas where deprivation already existed, and
highlighting the lack of balance in the world economy.
George Gelber addressing the Assembly
Mr Gelber gave specific examples of countries that depend on world
market prices for minerals, agricultural products and commodities in general,
which are all at the mercy of price fluctuations beyond their control.
Clifford Longley, the distinguished Catholic journalist and broadcaster
on religious affairs, spoke about the crisis in capitalism and the common good
during which he emphasised that the recent EncyclicalLetter “Caritas in Veritate” by Pope Benedict
XVI, provided a coherent spirituality for Justice and Peace activity.
Clifford Longley addressing the Assembly
The two
keynote speakers were joined by Helen Moseley CAFOD Diocesan Manager in
the West Midlands office, in a lively question and
answer session, Chaired by Derek Smith, that brought home the enormity of the current global financial
situation.
Afterwards a spokesman for the Justice and Peace Commission,
said: “This was a most worthwhile Assembly. The enormity of the global
financial crisis is overwhelming. But delegates left determined to take small
initiatives and help raise awareness of the social teachings of the Catholic
Church in parishes and among individuals.”
An inspirational Liturgy organised by Sister Anna O'Connor with students of the University, closed the day's proceedings.
George Gelber addressing the Assembly
