Peace Sunday 2023

On Sunday 15 January Archbishop Malcolm celebrated Mass for the 56th World Peace Day at the Metropolitan Cathedral. This year’s message from Pope Francis was: ‘No-one can be saved alone. Combatting Covid-19 together, embarking together on paths of peace’.

Pope Francis spoke of the need to review our experience as individuals and communities, following the experience of Covid and to identify signs of ‘life and hope’ saying, ‘Certainly, after directly experiencing the fragility of our own lives and the world around us, we can say that the greatest lesson we learned from Covid19 was the realisation that we all need one another. That our greatest need and yet most fragile treasure is our shared humanity as brothers and sisters, children of God…and that none of us can be saved alone. Consequently, we urgently need to work together in seeking and promoting universal values that can guide the growth of this human fraternity.’

The Holy Father went on to lament the ‘virus of war’ in Ukraine and called all men and women of good will to work together as ‘artisans of peace’.

Archbishop Malcolm spoke of the shooting of mourners the previous day after a memorial service at St Aloysius RC church in Euston, London. He said that this act of violence particularly resonated with him as his mother had grown up in the area, and St Aloysius was the last church where the late Bruce Kent had served, as a priest, before embarking on full time work for peace and disarmament.

Referring to the readings (1 Corinthians 1:1-3 and John 1: 29-34), the archbishop said that because of our baptism, we have all been filled with the gift of the Holy Spirit and that we must not reject this gift by failing to use it. Each of us must allow the Spirit to ‘set us alight for the salvation of the whole world’, beginning with peace in ourselves and working with others.

Pax Christi is the international Catholic peace movement which exists to promote peace and justice, based on Gospel values, through prayer, study and action. They had a stall with a display, prayer cards, leaflets and materials for children and families.

Members of the Merseyside group are available to support parishes and groups as we ‘embark together ‘on the path of peace. Contact: Jan Harper janharper1@yahoo.co.uk

Aisling Griffin, Youth Education Officer, works throughout England and Wales with schools and young people (including inset days). Contact: education@paxchristi.org.uk

Resources are available on the national website: www.paxchristi.org.uk