Pax Christi - Remembering Hiroshima and Nagasaki 1945 International solidarity links for Peace 6th and 9th August 2010 Some suggested actions: • Hold a peace vigil/service/commemoration … • Light candles for peace … • Say one of the prayers offered below …. • Include prayers in Sunday services to commemorate the bombing Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Pray for the abolition of nuclear weapons and that our Government to be committed to nuclear the nonproliferation treaty and the cancellation of the Trident nuclear programme. • Sadako Sasaki: read or tell the story of Sadako and the cranes (see sheets below and http://www.paxchristi.org.uk/litgy.HTML )make a paper crane as a symbol of peace and hope (see instruction sheet) or use the outline of a crane and write on it a prayer, hope or personal commitment for peace • Send a message of peace, friendship and solidarity to any of the following (sheet for use in churches/stalls below) Hiroshima: • Fr. Goto, JP diocesan coordinator of Hiroshima diocese. masashigt@nifty.com • The Bishop of Hiroshima : Joseph Atsumi Misue, Bishop's House, 4-42 Nobori-cho, Naka-ku, Hiroshima-shi 730-0016, Japan • Hideko Okamoto , Hiroshima Coventry Club otomaru_yume@kem.biglobe.ne.jp website www.7b.biglobe.ne.jp/coventryclub Postal address: 2-46-18-14 Kamiyasu, Asaminamiku, Hiroshima, 731-0154, Japan Nagasaki: • Archbishop Takami, Nagasaki mtakami@kne.biglobe.ne.jp 1-1, Hashiguchimachi, Nagasaki, 852-8114, Japan • Urakami (Immaculate Conception) Church, 1-79 Motomachi, Nagasaki, 852-8112, Japan (hit in the bombing) • Hideo Tsuchiyama, Chair, Nagasaki Global Citizens' Assembly for the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons: 7-8 Hirano-machi Nagasaki 852-8117 Japan or global_nagasaki@yahoo.co.jp Prayer Suggestions International Prayer for Peace Lead me from death to life From falsehood to truth Lead me from despair to hope From fear to trust. Lead me from hate to love, from war to peace. May peace fill our hearts, our world, our universe. Litany of remembrance We remember, with horror, the image of the mushroom clouds that have resulted in death and destruction to so many people and to our precious world. We remember all those who lost family and friends in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the families that still mourn. We remember the children and young people who died, and those who died later of burns, sickness and leukaemia. We remember all survivors who lived with their wounds and terrible memories. We remember the doctors and nurses who treated the victims in the ruins of the cities and those who have suffered since. We remember the Indigenous People, whose lands have been used to mine for uranium, to test nuclear weapons and are now filled with our nuclear waste. We will remember the cost to all life of our world’s commitment to death through nuclear weapons. We remember all those who worked, and those who still work, for peace and healing with a commitment that grew from the ashes of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Community Affirmation We, who live in the shadow of the mushroom cloud, We, whose lives are threatened now by radioactivity, Today, declare our hope in the future. From the diversity of our traditions, We have come to renew our belief in the goodness of the earth and the sanctity of all life. We declare we are at peace with all people of good will, we need no leader to define for us an enemy, Nor to tell us what we need security for or defence against. Instead we affirm that our earth’s security lies, not in weapons, but in the justice of adequate housing and food, In the justice of meaningful education and work, In the justice of an economic order that gives everyone access to the earth’s abundance, In the justice of human relationships, nourished by co-operation, In the justice of safe, clean, renewable energy, instead of the perils of nuclear power. We affirm people over property, community over privatism, Respect for others regardless of gender, race or class; We choose struggle rather than indifference. We choose to be peacemakers rather than peacekeepers, And will settle for nothing less. We unite ourselves with people all over the world, To create communities of resistance to the nuclear threat. Justice and love can overcome the machines of destruction; Before us are set life and death, We choose life, that we and our children will have life. A moments silence to make a personal commitment to peacemaking Prayer for peace, used by the United Nations: Our globe is nothing but a little star in the great universe. It is our duty to turn this globe into a planet whose creatures are not tormented by wars, nor tortured by hunger and fear, nor torn apart in senseless divisions according to race, colour or creed. Give us courage and foresight to begin this work today, so that adults and children may take pride in being called human. Sadako and the Paper Cranes “I will write PEACE on your wings and you will fly all over the world” Sadako was a little girl from Hiroshima. When the atomic bomb was dropped on her city she came into contact with dangerous atomic radiation and became a victim of leukemia. She was sent to hospital where the nurses persuaded hopelessly sick children, like Sadako, to take their medicine by promising to fold little origami figures out of the paper squares in which the medicine was wrapped. Sadako’s favourite figure was the crane - in Japan a symbol of hope. A Japanese legend says that anyone who folds, hopefully and faithfully, a 1,000 cranes will have their wishes granted. Sadako used her medicine wrappers for making cranes, praying each time for recovery for herself, until one day she sensed that she would never get well. She changed her prayer. Instead of praying for herself, she began to pray for peace for all victims of war. To each crane she finished she said, “I will write peace on your wings and you will fly all over the world.” Sadako folded 644 cranes before she died at the age of 12. When her story became known, children all over Japan began to fold paper cranes and sent them in their thousands to Hiroshima. The children of Hiroshima raised money to build a ‘Peace Tower’ in which these paper cranes could hang. The tower stands in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park. On top is a little girl in bronze and in her hands, stretched high above her head, she holds a golden crane. Below, hang thousands and thousands of colourful paper cranes strung together in garlands representing the prayers of children all over the world. At the base of the memorial is a plaque which says: “This is our cry, this is our prayer, peace in the world.”
Messages of peace, friendship & solidarity On the 65th anniversary of the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki Event held at: To: Please write your message in a box below and add your name Pax Christi, St Joseph's Watford Way, Hendon, London NW4 4TY phone: 020 8203 4884 info@paxchristi.org.uk www.paxchristi.org.uk Name: Name: Name: Name: Name: What Churches say about Trident & Nuclear Weapons Weapons of mass destruction must be replaced but not with more weapons. Rather, replace Trident with projects that bring life to the poor. Cardinal Keith O’Brien, Archdiocese of St Andrews and Edinburgh, Easter 2006 Our churches urge the British Government to work tirelessly to rid the world of weapons of mass destruction. The end of the Cold War gives us hope that this aim is achievable. Replacing Trident would send the wrong message to aspiring nuclear powers... Statement on Trident from Baptist, Methodist and URC Church leaders, 2006 “To plan a strategy around such weapons is to be defeated by them. To threaten such an outrage against humanity and its world is to begin to lose one's moral and human dignity. To work for a world free from nuclear arms is to work for the sake of that moral and human dignity.” Rowan Williams, Archbishop of Canterbury, September 2009 What can be said about those governments which count on nuclear arms as a means of ensuring the security of their countries? Along with countless persons of good will, one can state that this point of view is not only baneful but also completely fallacious. Pope Benedict XVI, World Peace Day 2006 St Joseph's Watford Way, London NW4 4TY Te;: 020 8203 4884 info@paxchristi.org.uk www.paxchristi.org.uk
Pax Christi related events in February and March 2010
Preparing for Lent - Reflection:
"Let not your hearts be broken, nor your garments torn, turn to the Lord your
God again, for God is all tenderness and compassion." Joel 2:13 Repentance
means a change of mind and heart. Joel calls it heart-break, letting God, who
is all tenderness and compassion, break the cocoon of selfishness with which we
defend ourselves from God and others. The call to repentance is a call to the
nation to change political, social and economic structures which oppress and
exploit the weak.
(From Show me your face: Daily
readings and reflections for Lent by Gerard W Hughes SJ published by Pax
Christi, Price £2.50)
15 February (Mon)
Aldermaston
Blockade from 7 am onwards of the
Atomic Weapons Establishment where new nuclear weapons are being developed.
Organised by Trident Ploughshares. Pax Christi members are invited to come to
the Tadley Gate - the Faith Gate where there will be a service at 11.00am. For
how to get to Aldermaston and maps click here http://www.tridentploughshares.org/article1577#Parking
17 February - Annual Ash Wednesday
witness of repentance and resistance to nuclear war preparations. Ministry of
Defence, Horseguards
Avenue, Whitehall,
London. We will
gather in EmbankmentGardens at 3.00pm. We can provide you with
liturgy ideas for local events. If you would like to help on the day, with
readings, carrying items for our liturgy etc please contact the office 0208 203
4884
8 March, International Women's Day
and 5 March, Women's World Day of Prayer Order Pax Christi's celebrating women
peacemaker cards to send greetings to women peacemakers at home and
internationally or to use at local Women's World Day services. Click here for
the history of the day http://www.un.org/ecosocdev/geninfo/women/womday97.htm
24 March Anniversary of Martyrdom
of Archbishop Oscar Romero. London, Archbishop Vincent Nichols will
celebrate and preach at a Mass in Westminster Cathedral at 5.30pm This event is
sponsored by Pax Christi, CAFOD, Progressio and the Archbishop Romero Trust. For
a full listing of all of the Romero events click here http://www.paxchristi.org.uk/events.HTML
Welcome to the Pax Christi for
February. Following you will find details of a variety of resources and upcoming
events together with little bit of touting for work and a final plea for any
last entries in our Peace Contest. Enjoy
1. I will be in the north-west of
England for the week beginning 22nd
March to provide some input in a couple of schools. If you are in that part of
the world, or North Wales, and would be
interested in arranging some Pax Christi workshops in your school or a meeting
with me to explore peace education possibilities then do get in
touch.
2. 24th March is the anniversary of
Oscar Romero’s martyrdom and there are lots of events going on to mark this
occasion. Details of many of these events are on our website http://www.paxchristi.org.uk/events.HTML
I will be involved in the Liverpool
diocese annual Romero mass in St Helens on 7th March which this year takes place
at Lowe House in St Helens within a day for young
people.
3. Also in that part of the world I
offer a plug for a production of The Diary of Anne Frank taking place this month
at the centenary theatre in Runcorn. For more details see http://www.centenarytheatre.co.uk/
5. The annual Ash Wednesday witness
of repentance and resistance to nuclear war preparations is taking place at the
Ministry of Defence on Wednesday 17th February. http://www.paxchristi.org.uk/events.HTML
7. The debate surrounding the armed
forces recruitment methods in schools continues to rumble on. A new report from
David Gee and Anna Goodman reveals that the army particularly targets London’s poorer schools for
recruits. Read the report here www.informedchoice.org.uk/armyvisitstoschools.pdf
8. The Speak Network is holding
their Soundcheck event over the last weekend in February followed by a day of
action on Monday 1st March.
9.If you have not yet sent off your
entry to the Pax Christi contest then there is still time. Any entries received
on or before February 12th will still be put before the judges for
consideration.
With every good
wish
matt
Matt Jeziorski
Schools and Youth Outreach Worker Pax
Christi St Joseph's Watford
WayLondon
A small Pax Christi UK education
delegation visited the West Bank, Palestine from 12th to 20th February 2009, staying inBethlehem to
meet our partners in the Arab Education Institute and visit other parts
of the West Bank.
The purpose was to offer
solidarity to Christian, Jewish and Muslim peacemakers and projects and to
visit schools and education projects to see how we can support them.
The Arab Education Institute works to bring
together Muslim and Christian families, young people, university students and
women and to build bridges by meeting, praying, working together as well as
enjoying each others company. They also join in non-violent actions
against the Wall and the occupation.
Ann Farr will be glad to come and talk to groups and show
photographs.There are already previous
diaries, a wide variety of prayers, information and resources about peacemakers
in Palestine/Israel on the website if you are interested.
Please
keep the people of Palestine
in your thoughts and prayers
You can download a Personal Diary Report (with photos) of this visit made by Pat Gaffney, General Secretary of Pax Christi, from here
Below is the report of the
Beatification of Franz Jägerstätter, Austria,
26thOctober 2007
Beatification of Franz Jägerstätter, Austria, 26th October 2007
Six Pax Christi members from Birmingham Archdiocese were among around 5000 people who attended the ceremony of beatification of Franz Jägerstätter in the cathedral of Linz, Austria on 26th October 2007.
Franz Jägerstätter, a farmer and married man with four daughters, was beheaded by the Nazi’s on 9th August 1943 for refusing to fight for Hitler.His refusal to fight was based on his faith, which he recognised as being incompatible with the ideology of National Socialism and with the war of aggression against Russia. The Church authorities in Austria recognised the evils of Nazism and many priests were imprisoned for speaking out, but in the end they had acquiesced to the annexation of the country by Germany in 1938.Some Catholics felt that the war against Russia could be justified because it was against atheistic Bolshevism.Franz argued: “..what are we fighting in this country – Bolshevism or the Russian people? When our Catholic missionaries went to a pagan country to make them Christians, did they advance with machine guns and bombs in order to convert and improve them?…If we look back a little into history, we note almost the same thing again and again: if a conqueror attacks another country with war, they have not normally invaded the country to improve people or even perhaps to give them something, but usually to get something for themselves.”
Franz’s bishop tried to persuade him that his first duty was to his wife and children and that he should not follow a course would lead to his certain execution. His wife Franziska, who shared and nourished his faith, understood that she could not make Franz go against his conscience and stood by him.Still alive at 94, she was at the ceremony with his four daughters and was loudly applauded by the congregation. In a very moving moment, she carried the relics of Franz to the altar, kissing them before handing them to Cardinal Martins, Pope Bendict XVI’s representative.
Pax Christi members from England, Ireland, USA, Germany, the Czech Republic and Italy, including 2 bishops, travelled to Austria for this occasion. The Austrian section of Pax Christi provided a wonderrful welcome.
A Mass of thanksgiving was held on Sunday 28th October at the tiny parish church in the village of St Radegund where Franz had been born and lived, and where he served as sacristan.
The Mass was preceded by a procession to the church of the local band and people in traditional dress, and the arrival of Frau Jägerstätter in the motorbike).Some of his grandchildren contributed to the music in the Mass.In his sermon, the Bishop of Linz drew a comparison with Franz’s stance against Nazism and the need in our own time to confront racism and welcome the stranger.
Blessed Franz Jägerstätter’s commemoration day will be the 21st May, the anniversary of his baptism.
·For more information contact Pax Christi at St Joseph’s, Watford Way, Hendon,London, NW4 4TY, Tel: 020 8203 4884, email paxchristi@gn.apc.org
·A further report on the beatification ceremony and pictures can be found on the Pax Christi website, www.paxchristi.org.uk. This also gives links to the Archdiocese of Linz website with pictures of the ceremony.
