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London: Ash Wednesday call for peace at MoD


Katrina Aton, Congregation of St Joseph of Peace, Henrietta Cullinan, London Catholic Worker

Katrina Aton, Congregation of St Joseph of Peace, Henrietta Cullinan, London Catholic Worker

More than 100 peace campaigners braved freezing temperatures in London on Ash Wednesday to pray and voice their opposition to war and nuclear weapons outside the Ministry of Defence.

The group gathered in Embankment Gardens for the first part of the liturgy which included a call to repentance: 'Within weeks of the bombing of Coventry Cathedral in 1940, a wooden cross of charred timbers was set up, and in chalk on the wall was written 'Father, forgive'. Before we go to mark another place with that same call to repentance, let us recognise our own sinfulness and ask God to forgive us of all that separates us from his divinity and one another.''

After the blessing of ashes and charcoal, readings and an ashing ceremony of participants, they walked in silence down Horseguards Avenue, stopping three times for prayers and readings: ''Nuclear weapons and defence are a counter sign to the Cross. They threaten to undo the work of creation, they control through fear, their development and production take resources away from the poor''.

Outside the Ministry of Defence they formed a large circle, and carried out symbolic actions including making a silent appeal for the government to stop the new Trident nuclear defence system, tying ribbons to a cross in memory of place and people in need of peace, and drawing the word 'Repent' in ashes on the pavement in front of the MoD. Some campaigners also marked the building with charcoal.

The UK government agreed in January to spend £160billion on the new weapons system on four Vanguard submarines. Each sub has 16 missile tubes. Each missile can deliver eight warheads. Each warhead is eight times more powerful than the bomb used at Hiroshima.

One reading quoted Archbishop Chullikat who said in 2011: "In Catholic teaching the task is not to make the world safter through the threat of nuclear weapons but rather to make the world safer through disarmament. The moral end is clear.."

The service concluded with a prayer of commitment: "may the God of peace, who loves each one of us infinitely, send us forth as an instrument of God's peace, love and nonviolence, and may the God of peace bless us, the Creator, the Christ and the Holy Spirit!

This service has taken place very year since 1982. It was organised by Pax Christi, Christian CND and London Catholic Worker. Participants included a group of pupils from Trinity Catholic School Leamington Spa, Catholic students from London and Oxford, several religious and parish groups and some Japanese Nipponzan Myohoji Buddhist monks and nuns who are based at the Battersea Peace Temple.

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

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