Page 11 - LOTN Issue 45

DIOCESE

Waging Peace

For those Catholics in the Diocese wanting to learn more
about how they can start "waging peace" in our troubled
world, Kenneth Sadler, Coordinator of St Mary’s Cathedral
Justice and Peace Group, suggests taking a look at Pax
Christi Scotland.

BY KENNETH SADLER

‘Peace’ is a powerful and evocative word: something
that Christians, indeed all people of goodwill, should
desire. It is there in the Seventh Beatitude from the
Sermon on the Mount, ‘Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God’ (Mt 5:9), where
our Lord commends those who work for it; after his
death and Resurrection Jesus greets his astonished
and frightened disciples with the sublime words, the work of disarmament and, prophetically, they protest
‘Peace be with you’ (Lk 24:36; Jn 20:19); it is there as against the vast effort and resources spent on weapons of
a fruit of the Holy Spirit listed by St Paul in his letter death while so many people live in poverty, without the
to the Galatians, ‘love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, basic essentials necessary for a dignified human existence.
Tragically, this observation remains all too relevant.
generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control’
(Gal 5:22-23). Peace matters. Despite the longstanding just war tradition, the bishops
The Catechism of the Catholic Church observes that are not surprised by the increasing prominence of pacifism
peace is not simply the absence of in Catholic thought; they also encourage Catholics to
war, such as the situation prevailing in discern how to advance disarmament,
and they urge Catholics to work with
Europe during the years between the
end of World War Two and the fall of movements that authentically seek to
Communism; Cold War and a balance of In the words of Pope Paul foster peace. ‘Together with all men
terror does not make for peace. Rather, VI: ‘The question of war and and women of goodwill we will work
peace depends on protecting the peace presents itself today in and pray for peace.’
Pax Christi International is a
human good, open communication, new terms … today war has at
the recognition of human dignity, and its disposal means which have prominent Catholic peace movement
the active cultivation of fellowship; it is immeasurably magnified its with member organisations across the
‘the work of justice and effect of charity’ horror and its wickedness.’ globe. In July 2019 Pax Christi Scotland
(CCC 2304). was formally accepted as part of the
movement; its supporters in Scotland
In March 1982, in the early years
of Margaret Thatcher’s government, had previously been part of Pax Christi
which was strongly committed to Britain’s nuclear UK, but given the distinctive nature of
deterrent, the Bishops’ Conference of Scotland released a working for peace in Scotland (due not least to the fact
statement on ‘Peace and Disarmament’. In their reflection that Britain's nuclear submarines are based at Faslane, a
mere 25 miles from Glasgow, and Scotland’s developing
the Scottish bishops observe that peace is fundamental
to the Christian Gospel and it resonates with the deep autonomous political culture) it made sense to establish
yearnings of humanity. They acknowledge that ‘in an independent Scottish group.
extreme circumstances’ and ‘under certain conditions’ Chaired by Marian Pallister, writer and experienced
Catholic tradition accepts the legitimacy of war for the activist based in the Diocese of Argyll and the Isles,
Pax Christi Scotland takes a firm stand against nuclear
sake of justice; however, they recognise that this theory
of just war developed in the centuries before the dawn weapons, as would be expected; yet it also aims to
of modern warfare. In the words of Pope Paul VI: ‘The foster a non-violent society by noticing, challenging and
question of war and peace presents itself today in new changing the cultural sources of violence in our own
terms … today war has at its disposal means which have country. Catholics in the Diocese of Aberdeen wanting
to learn more about Pax Christi Scotland’s ongoing work
immeasurably magnified its horror and its wickedness.’
Concerning nuclear weapons, the bishops state that ‘if of waging peace in our troubled world may want to start
it is immoral to use these weapons it is also immoral to with their social media sites:
threaten their use’ and they ask if ‘a policy of self-defence
based on the use or even the threat of use of these https://www.facebook.com/PaxChristiScotland/
https://twitter.com/paxscotland
weapons of terrible destructiveness can ever be morally
justified.’ The bishops also note that the Church supports

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