Ash Wednesday peace prayers outside Ministry of Defence

Fausta Valentine and Pat Gaffney

Around 50 Christians gathered outside the Ministry of Defence in Central London on Ash Wednesday to take part in the annual Ash Wednesday procession and prayer vigil. They called for the UK government to repent holding nuclear weapons and support the International Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The service was led by Pat Gaffney, an organiser of Pax Christi in London.

Since 1982, Christians have assembled on Ash Wednesday at the Ministry of Defence to pray for peace and a conversion of hearts and minds away from nuclear war preparations, the destruction caused by nuclear testing and the wasted resources that are invested in nuclear weapons and in all weapons.

On Wednesday, there was a reading from the 2023 'Urbi et Orbi' message of Pope Francis where he said: "The human heart is weak and impulsive; if we find instruments of death in our hands, sooner or later we will use them. And how can we even speak of peace, when arms production, sales and trade are on the rise? Countries remembered included Sudan, Democratic Republic of Congo and Colombia. There was a call for peace in the Holy Land and a prayer to repent worshipping "the false god of security and nationalism."

Organised by Pax Christi, Christian CND, Columbans in Britain, London Catholic Worker and Westminster Justice and Peace, participants included members of the National J&P Network, J&P Religious Links, Passionists, Columbans Sisters, and peace campaigners from as far afield as Arundel and Brighton, Birmingham and Hallam Dioceses. Japanese Buddhist monks and nuns from the Battersea Peace Temple also took part.

Several diocesan priests were among those standing in front of the building carrying placards bearing quotes from Pope Francis. These included words of Pope Francis at Nagasaki in Japan: 'Turn to God with trust, to teach us to be instruments of peace."

Some participants also attended the earlier gathering nearby, outside parliament, of hundreds of Christians, drawing attention to the climate crisis. They were launching a ten-day, 240-hour vigil outside the Palace of Westminster under the title, 'No Faith In Fossil Fuels,' calling on the UK government to stop issuing new licences for fossil-fuel exploration in UK waters. Increasingly, the carbon footprint of military activities is receiving attention. Military emissions account for more than the greenhouse emissions of aviation and shipping combined.

Pax Christi Ash Wednesday witness events were also held in Coventry, at the Coventry Cathedral ruins, and on the streets of Liverpool where Merseyside peace activists were joined by SMA fathers and parishioners and clergy of local churches. In Coventry, there was a visit to the Council House to hand in a letter protesting against investment in the Arms Trade. The Catholic Worker in Scotland and Pax Christi Scotland held a vigil at the nuclear submarine base on the Clyde.

In the evening Pax Christi England and Wales organised an online Service of Lament, Repentance and Witness. Around 40 people joined in from dioceses including Westminster, Birmingham, Leeds and Shrewsbury.

Many participants in the vigil outside the MoD had taken part in an ecumenical Ash Wednesday service for creation at St John's Church in Waterloo. Afterwards they walked to Parliament, where they joined the ten day 24 hour vigil for the environment. (further reports to come).