Pax Christi calls for prayers for Vatican conference on nuclear weapons

Members of the British Section of Pax Christi and others from this International Movement for Peace will take part in a Vatican hosted conference this weekend on the theme: 'Perspectives for a world free from nuclear weapons and for integral disarmament'. Organised by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development the conference brings together representatives of civil society, States and International Organizations and academics from around the world to reflect together on nuclear weapons, the only weapons of mass destruction not yet prohibited under international law.

Pat Gaffney, General Secretary of the British Section of Pax Christi will participate. She said: "We appreciate this initiative and the role the Holy See has played in supporting the recent Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The Holy See was one of the first States to sign the Treaty in September. However, there is still much to be done to bring our own Government and other states, including the United States, Russia, France and China, into the Treaty process. We are also concerned that many responses to the threats arising from conflict over Korea increase the possibility of military intervention and the possibility of the use of nuclear weapons."

Pax Christi has called on its members, supporters and parishes to support the Rome gathering with prayer and fasting. The Catholic Chaplaincy in Bath will include prayers at Adoration and Mass on 10 November and the parish of St Mellitus in North London will hold a Holy Hour. The Justice & Peace Commission in Middleborough will share the prayer Pax Christi have produced for the gathering and Bishop Thomas McMahon will offer prayers, remembering that recent events have highlighted that this Conference is more important than ever.

Prayer offered by Pax Christi for 10 and 11 November.

Creator God,

We ask your Holy Spirit to guide those meeting in Rome including the Pax Christi delegation.

Your world is precious but human folly threatens its very existence.
We pray for those whose lives have been destroyed by nuclear weapons and nuclear testing.

We pray for those denied the essentials of life when money is squandered on nuclear weapons production.

We pray that our Church will speak to the world with clarity and wisdom and work with world leaders to ban the development,
possession and use of nuclear weapons.

With Pope Francis, we commit ourselves to work for a world
without nuclear weapons.
We pray in hope for a world built on just relations and
cooperation between people who wish to live in peaceful
co-existence. Amen

For more information see: http://paxchristi.org.uk/2017/10/21/pray-and-fast-in-support-of-vatican-conference-on-nuclear-weapons-november-2017/

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