The Synod Synthesis document from October 2023 called for: “More reflection and formation in order that we can manage conflicts in a nonviolent way” and “Careful consideration of nonviolence and legitimate self-defence.”
As a contribution to the consideration by the Synodal assembly and the appointed working group of these questions, which are critical to the future of the Church and the world, the Catholic Institute for Nonviolence offered four seminars and additional opportunities for dialogue and discussion throughout October at the Istituto Maria Santissima Bambina, Paolo VI, 21 Rome
For those unable to attend in person, the seminars were livestreamed on our YouTube channel and recorded for later viewing.
October 4. Nonviolence: Faithful and Effective
Maria Clara Bingemer, PhD, Professor of Theology at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, consultant to the General Secretariat of the Synod
David Cochran, PhD, Professor of Politics and Co-director of the Peace and Justice minor at Loras College, author of The Catholic Case Against War: A Brief Guide
Marie Dennis, Senior Director of Pax Christi International’s Catholic Nonviolence Initiative; past Co-President of Pax Christi International (2007-2019).
Wolfgang Palaver, PhD, Professor (retired) and Dean from 2013 to 2017 of Catholic Social Thought at the School of Catholic Theology at the University of Innsbruck
Read more and watch the recording here.
October 11. Managing Conflict Nonviolently
Pat Gaffney, peace educator, past General Secretary, Pax Christi England and Wales
Sister Sheila Kinsey, FCJM, former Executive Co-Secretary for the USG and UISG JPIC Commission, developer of the Integrity for Nonviolence Program, Catholic Nonviolence Initiative representative in Rome
Edgar Antonio Lopez, PhD, Professor of Theology, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Colombia
Nicolás Paz, Civil Mediator, Faculty Member at Pontifical University of Salamanca, Programme Officer of Pax Christi’s Catholic Nonviolence Initiative
Read more and watch the recording here.
October 18. Nonviolent Defence: Beyond War and Cycles of Violence
Kanini Kimau (Kenya), founder of Horn of Africa Grassroots Peace Forum and longtime grassroots peace builder in Northern Kenya and South Sudan
Eli McCarthy, PhD, Faculty Member, Department of Theology and Religious Studies, Georgetown University, author of A Just Peace Ethic Primer: Building Sustainable Peace and Breaking Cycles of Violence
Hardy Merriman, President of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC), a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council
Read more and watch the recording here.
October 25. The Role of the Church in Nurturing a Global Nonviolent Shift
Pietro Ameglio, Gandhian civil rights and peace activist. a leading theorist and practitioner of nonviolent social movements in Mexico, professor at La Salle University, author of Gandhi y la desobediencia civil, México hoy
Anna Blackman, PhD, Lecturer, in Catholic Religious Education, University of Glasgow
Leo Guardado, PhD, Assistant Professor of Theology at Fordham University and a fellow of the Institute for Advanced Catholic Studies at the University of Southern California
Ken Butigan, PhD, Professor of Practice in the Peace, Justice, and Conflict Studies Program at DePaul University, Executive Committee of Pax Christi’s Catholic Nonviolence Initiative
Read more and watch the recording here.
Nonviolence is a spirituality, a way of life, a positive reverence for dignity and life, a potentially global ethic and a spectrum of diverse strategies for preventing or interrupting violence, for protecting vulnerable people and for promoting just peace. Rooted in the Word and witness of Jesus, nonviolence is increasingly proven to be a powerful and effective alternative to many expressions of violence – from war to environmental destruction, from gender violence to gangs and militias.
Check out our new video to discover the different dimensions of nonviolence and how it can guide us toward a more just and compassionate future.