Beginning on Ash Wednesday, Lent is a season of reflection and preparation for the celebration of the resurrection of Christ.
Every Friday for the coming six weeks we will share with you a thought-provoking quote from a participant in our conference “Pope Francis, Nonviolence and the fullness of Pacem in Terris” to foster reflection on steps to advance the spirituality, way of life, strategies, and ethic of nonviolence in the Church and the world.
We invite all of you to react week after week, by commenting on social media or replying by email, to create a collective space for reflection. As Pope Francis said, our Lenten journey is “synodal”, since we make it together along the same path, as disciples of the one Master.
Additionally, you can read the responses of our conference participants to the question What do you need from the Church in your country to amplify/roll out Pope Francis’ message of nonviolence and transformation of our world?
We enter this spiritual time with a message from our Co-President Bishop (Em.) Marc Stenger
As we enter Lent, we are invited to choose a practice that will help us to give a place to God in our lives, to let his Word resonate within us.
We are invited to the desert, a place of aridity, thirst, hunger, even temptation, but also a place of what is essential, of encounter.
Lent is a time to choose a path that nourishes us. This year, Lent begins with the clash of arms. We are deeply affected by the madness, the destruction, the exodus, and the deaths, but we are invited to discover in our lives that after the experience of death comes the resurrection.
So what are the choices we want to make?
The choice of a nonviolent approach?
May our word be impeccable!
May we speak without criticism, without pride, and without anger, because speaking evil, slandering, or cursing always has repercussions on everyone we speak to.
May we rediscover the wonder of creation: we are part of the canvas of life and we receive our life from it.
May we listen to Jesus, not take refuge in a religiosity made of extraordinary events, but with the courage to face reality each day with its challenges, and its contradictions
May we speak against the false prophets who are an obstacle to love.
May this Ash Wednesday be a day to reflect on and return to the right path.
Week 1
How can we efficiently address the root causes of conflicts in different parts of the world without pushing a one-size-fits-all solution? Read Sister Sia Temu, MM (Kenya)’s point of view, and share with us your thoughts!
Week 2
Since its launch, the Catholic Nonviolence Initiative has been encouraging a paradigm shift in Catholic culture from violence to nonviolence. What should be the role of the Catholic Church in this? A mere recipient of our efforts, or an active player? Read what Archbishop John Wester (USA) thinks about it and let us know your own views!
Week 3
Does Pope Francis point to nonviolence at the peripheries? Read Rose Marie Berger’s (Catholic Nonviolence Initiative and Sojourners) analysis and hope for the future. Do you agree? Let us know!
Week 4
Week 5
Learn more about active, creative, gospel nonviolence. Watch the lecture “Christian Foundations of Nonviolence“, which explores the Christologically-grounded nature of nonviolence. Among other important fundamental materials, presenters draw on Biblical texts— including scriptures highlighting the nonviolent ethos of Jesus and papal statements relating to Catholic teaching on nonviolence. Featuring Dr. Lisa Sowle Cahill, Boston College, and Dr. KC Choi, Princeton Theological Seminary.
Week 6
