30th Ash Wednesday peace vigil at MoD planned

Christian peace campaigners will begin Lent on Ash Wednesday by holding their 30th prayer vigil outside the Ministry of Defence.

For thirty years, young and old, lay and religious, retired folk, students, parents, missionaries, academics, doctors, teachers, peace-workers have been among those who have made the deep connection between their own lives, their faith, personal responsibility and nuclear weapons in acts of prayer and witness at the Ministry of

Defence in London. For some, this connection has led to court-rooms and prison cells. They will gather again this Ash Wednesday to repent of our Government's nuclear weapons policy and pray for a change of heart.

Following an outdoor liturgy where participants will acknowledge their own need of repentance and be marked with blessed ash they will process to the two Ministry of Defence buildings in Horseguards Avenue for a time of prayer, silence and symbolic actions calling the Government to repent, using the words and symbols of Ash
Wednesday. Some will attempt to mark the buildings with blessed ash and charcoal with words such as REPENT, CHOOSE LIFE, NO TRIDENT.

Lent is a time when Christians join together to face their own sinfulness and need of repentance - a time to turn away from those things which deny life, war, fear, poverty to those things that are life giving, peace, justice and service to others. As a nation we need to turn away from our dependence on nuclear weapons.

There are still 22,000 nuclear weapons located at 111 sites in 14 countries. Each year nations spend $1000 billion on maintaining and modernising their nuclear arsenals.

The UK Ministry of Defence is spending £2bn on new nuclear weapons plants before a formal decision has been taken over whether to replace Trident warheads. The Royal Navy boasts a proud record of over 40 years of uninterrupted nuclear deterrence, as at least one of the four Vanguard-class submarines is on patrol at any time.

Marie Dennis, Co-President of Pax Christi International has sent the following message: "With deep gratitude and a heavy heart I send you warm greetings on behalf of Pax Christi International. Your 30 years of faithful witness against preparations for nuclear war give powerful testimony to the hope that is characteristic of our Christian tradition. In this season of repentance we accompany the brokenness of our world, but we know that death will not have the last word."

This witness is supported by Pax Christi, Christian CND and London Catholic Worker.

Among those who will be marking the building on Ash Wednesday are: Dr Ray Towey (68) missionary doctor who has spent most of the last 20 years in East Africa. Dr Towey has been involved with these Ash Wednesday actions for the past 30 years. Maria Albrecht, 50, Third Order Franciscan, from The Catholic Worker Farm in Hertfordshire. Maria has attended the Ash Wednesday Service at the MoD for the past eight years, John Lynes, 83 Quaker. Retired engineer and University lecturer. Served in Palestine and Iraq with the Christian Peacemaker Teams, Henrietta Cullinan, 50, from the London Catholic Worker, Susan Clarkson, Oxford Catholic Worker, Fr Simon Lodge, 39, priest of the Diocese of Leeds, Director of Myddelton Grange Youth Retreat Centre in Ilkley, Scott Albrecht, 49, from The Catholic Worker Farm in Hertfordshire. Mirjam Johansson, 26, from The Catholic Worker Farm in Hertfordshire.

For more information see: www.paxchristi.org.uk