Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action 2025
Building Bridges for a Nonviolent Tomorrow

“Nonviolence, as a method and a style, must distinguish our decisions, our relationships and our actions. … This approach is essential for disarming hearts, approaches and mentalities, and for denouncing the injustices of a system that kills and is based on the throwaway culture.”

—Pope Leo (May 30, 2025 – Arena of Peace)

The Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action take place from 21 September (International Day of Peace) until 2 October (International Day of Nonviolence and Gandhi’s birthday). These days, people worldwide are encouraged to come together in solidarity to promote and celebrate nonviolence. Last October we launched the Catholic Nonviolence Institute. This video gives a flavour of what we hope to achieve and how it is supported by the Church.

We are part of this through Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action. Aligned with Campaign Nonviolence Days of Action, the Week of Prayer for Peace in Palestine and Israel, and the Season of Creation, whose theme is “Peace with Creation” . This year also marks the 800 anniversary of the Canticle of Creatures, the poem from St Francis that helps give thanks and to see that all is connected. The Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action provide an opportunity to recognise the power of nonviolence in our faith and in practice around the globe.

The theme is shared with the 80th Anniversary theme of Pax Christi International. “Building bridges for tomorrow” Since its founding in 1945, Pax Christi has been dedicated to building bridges — of reconciliation after war, of dialogue across difference, and of solidarity in the face of injustice. This anniversary is not simply a look back, but a renewed call to action, drawing strength from 80 years of faithful witness and pointing toward a more just and peaceful world.

Here you can view the video of a retreat given by the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative entitled : Breaking Barriers, Binding Wounds, Healing Nations, which weaves together the themes of our Days of Action

Romans 14:19 “Let us, therefore, make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual building.” or “So let us do all we can to live in peace.
And let us work hard to build up one another.” NIRV

Pope Leo XIV, in his first words as Pope, spoke of the role of the Church
 to build bridges and dialogue, to be a Church that always seeks peace.
Listen to his words here.

What do we hope to do these days?

1. Raise awareness of Gospel nonviolence as a core dimension of Catholic faith. Use the resources below to start the conversation where you are.

2. Show how communities, families, groups and individuals respond nonviolently to conflict and injustice, being witnesses of Gospel Nonviolence in the world.

3. Promote healing and reconciliation in divided families, communities, and nations.

4. Foster relationships across political, racial, and religious divides.

5. Share the Vow of Nonviolence, available in 7 languages, on 2 October, the International Day of Nonviolence. We aim to create a global time of prayer for peace and nonviolence on that day.

Resources to help you celebrate these days

Examples of projects where bridges of different kinds are being built to heal and bring people together to make peace.

Activity

Set the scene: Look at this short video of Pope Leo on coexistence: In it he prays: Make us builders of bridges, able to overcome borders and ideologies.

Look at these video clips / websites. What tools and strategies do you see being used to bring people together. What story do they tell of what it takes to reconcile and make peace? Can you find more examples from your own community or country?

Have YOU been involved in an encounter or experience where some creative steps have been taken to bring people together, to start a listening and healing process?

Could YOU create a space for dialogue and encounter between people of different ages, people from different backgrounds, to share approaches to nonviolent peacemaking?

🔹 Children in Crossfire – a project coming out of the ‘troubles’ in Northern Ireland. Interview with their founder Richare Moore.

🔹 Peace Pairs. Pax Christi USA and Pax Christi England and Wales both run intergenerational projects bringing together a new, younger generation with more established peacemakers to learn from each other – crossing boundaries of age and experience. Read more here and here.

🔹 Miriam College in the Philippines build bridges of understanding and peace between young people from different traditions and backgrounds. Most recently they ran a two day training Women, Peace and Security through Climate Action. You can see their video here.

🔹 Mostar Bridge Bosnia – destroyed in war, now a symbol of reconciliation. Read here.

🔹 Building bridges between Palestinians and Israeli’s. Palestinian Aziz Abu Sarah and Israeli Maoz Inon interview with Vatican Radio.

🔹 Columban Mission Schools Project for Season of Creation. This project, established for Fiji, Australia and New Zealand, could be replicated anywhere to engage children in the theme Peace with Creation. Take a look and see what YOU could create in your school/parish.

🔹 Parents Circle – Palestinian and Israeli Families come together to build bridges. Look at these individual stories.

What people say about building bridges for peace and nonviolence

They may refer to structural responses, real bridges or systems. They may refer to the way we position ourselves in relation to others – moving towards, crossing a threshold, being in dialogue, being a personal ‘bridge’.

Activity: Which one speaks to you of the steps that are needed to achieve nonviolent peacemaking? How does it help you understand the value of building bridges, reaching out to others, for nonviolent change?

Share these with your group/parish, perhaps enlarge them in a display and use them to discuss the meaning of ‘Building Bridges for a Nonviolent Tomorrow’

  • We are disciples of Christ, Christ goes before us, and the world needs his light. Humanity needs him like a bridge to reach God and his love. You help us to build bridges with dialogue and encounter so we can all be one people always in peace. First address, Pope Leo XIV, May 2025
  • The bridge is a physical reminder to everyone about the value of peace and the peace-building work that has been achieved in the Maiden City (Derry / Londonderry) over the years. We should never forget what it represents, why it’s it there and it reminds us all of the value of peace and removing divisions. Richard Moore, founder of Children in Crossfire. Blinded by a rubber bullet in Derry in 1972
  • A threshold is a boundary, a liminal moment where we experience crises, decisions, or change. And our task as peace-makers is to offer the possibility in these moments for Shalom, for restoration of wholeness, for fullness of humanity. We are to cross thresholds not with fear or suspicion like wolves, says Jesus, but as sheep which requires the hard and humble work of following and going ahead of Christ, the shepherd. Peacemaking across thresholds takes dialogue, listening, waiting, trial and error, and sometimes… dusting off our feet and moving on. A threshold is as communal as deciding how your parish speaks out against war, or as intimate as deciding end of life care for a loved one. We are called as peacemakers to stand in moments of uncertainty…between rejection and belonging, between famine and harvest, death and new life. Nina Santos Laubach, preaching on Gospel of Luke 10:1-12,17.20
  • The Catholic Church is always ready and willing to welcome all people of good will around the table to discuss and work on peace, reconciliation, and development in the region,.. this is not the time for war, but for dialogue! It is not the time for violence, but the time to listen! It is not the time for suspicion, resentment, accusations, and jealousies, but the time to listen to the poor, to hear their cry for peace! Bishops Juan Josè Aguirre and Aurelio Gazzera, Bishop and Coadjutor Bishop of Bangassou, Central African Republic. June 2025
  • … every time that in the face of social and environmental injustice you organize yourselves (seafarers) to react and respond courageously and constructively. We ask you to be bridges even between enemy countries, prophets of peace. The sea binds all lands, invites them to look at the infinite horizon, to feel that unity can always prevail over conflict. Card. M. Czerny, S.J., Sea Sunday, July 2025

Strategies and tools

Nonviolent strategies and tools are the means by which we can build bridges for nonviolence in our communities. Search out on social media, in the press, in local news outlets examples of where you see these strategies and tools being used.

Learn more on how to nurture and develop these strategies from the CNI resources.

Be creative – think out of the box! Peace walks, marches, pilgrimages, vigils, workshops, educational activities, webinars, art events, demonstrations, reconciliation circles, trauma healing processes, dialogues, encounters …are some easy and creative ways of bringing people together to reflect on deeper issues.

🔹 Dialogue: listening with compassion, speaking with integrity, and seeking understanding even in conflict.

🔹 Restorative justice: creating spaces for healing and accountability rather than punishment and exclusion.

🔹 Civil resistance: standing against systems of injustice through peaceful protest, non-cooperation, and solidarity.

🔹 Unarmed protection: using presence, mediation, and accompaniment to reduce violence and protect the vulnerable.

🔹 Education for peace: forming hearts and minds in the values of nonviolence, cooperation, and active peacemaking.

What this theme means for you?

Activity: Create a time to reflect on these questions with members of your family, community, parish

  • Who are the bridge builders in times of division and breakdown in your family, community?
  • What tools and approaches do you see them use?
  • Where do you see space being created for dialogue, encounter and creative change?
  • How do you see these tools and strategies being used in the Church?
  • Where do you see the Church building bridges in our world today?

Prayer Resources

Here you can find a range of prayers/reflections that could be used in any activity you might organise. You may want to set time aside on 2 October, the International Day of Nonviolence, to reflect on all you have done and pray, with others, the Vow of Nonviolence.

Keep in touch

🔹 Share your activities and events here on Campaign Nonviolence.

🔹 Share your thoughts on Nonviolence on social media.

🔹 Promote the event on social media and repost the daily action ideas between 21 September and 2 October. Keep an eye out on the following pages:

🔹 Post a photo or a video of what Nonviolence means to you, use #Nonviolence and tag @CathNonviolence.

🔹 Read more about the Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action in 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021 and 2020.

Become a Catholic Nonviolence Days of Action Animator. Register here.