Local churches
and parishes have always been places of welcome, care and refuge in times
of danger and fear. Plan now for what your church can do if indeed the conflict
escalates and bombs begin to fall in Iraq. Throw open the doors of your church.
Offer a space for quiet prayer or holding a simple liturgy. Be prepared to
spread the word rapidly in your community and inform the local media so they
can help inform others. Make links with other churches or cooperate on an
interfaith basis.
"The beliefs we profess are not important, neither
are the religious buildings we worship in. The important thing is that wherever
we are and whenever we meet, we should raise our prayers to Heaven, asking
God to cover us with the mantle of peace which only God can provide, and
asking that light disperse the dark clouds of war so that a spirit of understanding
and peace might prevail." Pastoral Letter from the Dominican Evangelical
Church, 27 February 2003
Pray
Religious leaders
of all traditions have issued calls to pray for peace. On Ash Wednesday
and with the beginning of the Christian observance of Lent, the World Council
of Churches and Pope John Paul II made strong pleas that all Christians
pray for peace. Millions prayed together, and are called to continue in
prayer.
The WCC has
collected prayers and suggests some resources in different languages to
be included in prayer services for peace:
http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/what/international/iraqprayers-e.html
The Vatican
has placed background information on the Day of Prayer for Peace, including
resources for peace from the catechism at:
http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/special_features/peace/prayer-peace_index.html
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops offers a collection of resources called
“The Way to Peace” that includes prayer and liturgy materials,
educational resources, suggested activities and actions. http://www.usccb.org/sdwp/peace/index.htm
The Peace and
Justice Support Network of the Mennonite Church USA offers a sample candlelight
prayer vigil to be used on the eve of war, prayers and liturgies, and other
resources for action (including a “work sabbath” to emphasize
the seriousness of an event by stopping everyday activities to take time
for special prayer and action). http://peace.mennolink.org/
"It
is a duty of believers, regardless of the religion to which they belong,
to proclaim that we will never be able to be happy if we are against one
another; the future of humanity will never be able to be assured by terrorism
and the logic of war." Pope John Paul II, 23 February, 2003
Say
“no” to war
Join efforts
around the world to say “no” to war, resist violence, and build
peace with simple and effective actions.
Support the
advocacy efforts of the World Council of Churches and churches around the
globe by adding your name to the international church leaders' declaration
against war in Iraq: http://www2.wcc-coe.org/signatures.nsf/iraq-e
The WCC will use the number of supporters, their names, and their country
of origin in their ongoing communication and advocacy efforts for instance
with the UN Security Council members.
Actions suggested
by the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance include:
a) Express your views to a wider audience through the media in an op-ed
or letter to the editor.
Writing a letter to the editor
Writing an op-ed piece
Sample themes for op-eds or letters to the editor from religious leaders
(See http://wcc-coe.org/wcc/behindthenews/bulletin21-annex.html)
b) Prepare a simple petition or a book for messages to be collected and
place it in your church so that people can sign it and express their views
about war. Then arrange to deliver these to governmental decision-makers.
Sample petition
c) Take part in or lead non-violent public demonstrations that call for
peace. Ensure that the faith community is present and visible at these events.
d) Lift up powerful images and symbols for peace. The cross is the most
powerful and unifying image among Christians – across centuries, borders,
language and tradition. Consider and utilize symbols and images, in your
own experience and context, that stand against war, symbolize hope, demand
justice, and build peace. These might include: the cross, the ashes of Ash
Wednesday and the ashes that coat streets and homes after bombing, the sounds
of church bells and falling bombs, the light of candles and darkness of
mourning, torn fabric that remembers the tearing of Christ’s garments
and the brokenness of our world.
e) Preach and teach about peace.
Say “no”
to war with the International Peace Bureau, which offers an International
Anti-War Action Guide with links and resources on current actions and plans:
www.ipb.org.
Take action
using resources from the "Win Without War" coalition, supported
by the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA, www.ncccusa.org.
As part of this coalition, US and international church leaders have met
with the heads of governments in Germany, France, United Kingdom, and Russia,
as well as Pope John Paul II. Following the meeting with Prime Minister
Tony Blair in London, the church leaders' delegation developed a six-point
plan as an alternative to war, and encouraged people to read it, and through
the web site, send it to political leaders: http://www.sojo.net/action.
"The
events of recent days show that doubts still persist about the moral legitimacy
as well as the unpredictable humanitarian consequences of a war with Iraq.
We recognize that the moral alternative to military action cannot be inaction,
passivity, appeasement or indifference. It is vital therefore that all sides
in this crisis engage through the United Nations fully and urgently in a
process, including continued weapons inspections, that could and should
render the trauma and tragedy of war unnecessary."
Joint statement by Rowan Williams, archbishop of Canterbury, and Cardinal
Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, 20 February
2003.
Give
generously to save lives
“Give
generously and contribute to the emergency and disaster relief fund or appeal
of your church and the work it does through the global alliance of Action
by Churches Together (ACT) International. Your support is vital and your
gift can make a huge difference in providing humanitarian aid to the people
of Iraq. For a list of ACT members around the world, click on:
http://act-intl.org/act_links_to_members.html
"…ACT's
members and the member churches of the World Council of Churches have made
a clear and strong commitment to humanitarian aid being delivered in an
impartial and independent way. Therefore, as humanitarian NGOs likely to
be engaged in Iraq during and after a war, ACT members will not act as instruments
of foreign policy of donor governments nor accept government funding that
promotes military or geopolitical interests in the conflict. The preferred
sources of funding are from general public funds and other institutions
without military forces engaged in Iraq…."
From the Statement by Action by Churches Together (ACT) International relating
to humanitarian principles in the event of a war in Iraq, Geneva, March
4, 2003. Full text at: http://act-intl.org/news/dt_nr_2003/statement_iraq0103.html
Share
your experience and encourage others
The
power of our prayers, our words and our actions are magnified when taken
together. Consider taking some of these actions together with your family.
Talk with children about what is happening in the world and listen to their
fears - and their ideas for peace. Invite and engage classmates, neighbours
and colleagues at work in reflection and action. Share ideas and plans more
widely among local churches, ecumenical and inter-religious structures.
Everyone who takes the sometimes difficult step of standing for peace needs
to be supported, encouraged and reassured that they are not alone.
Share your experience and actions with us. We will try
to use Behind the News (website and newsletter) to tell the story of the
churches responding to the threat of war. Send us a short message about
what you have done or plan, or to share resources (e.g., prayers or liturgies)
by writing to us at: WCC Contact
Behind the News: Visions for Peace - Voices of Faith
focuses on alternative voices and perspectives behind stories in (or conspicuously
absent from) the international news.
highlights statements, ideas and actions that aim to build peace and reconciliation
in situations of conflict and violence.
shares information particularly from churches, ecumenical organizations,
and other faiths, emphasizing different regional perspectives.
Behind the news: Visions for Peace –
Voices of Faith is a joint initiative of:
World Council of Churches (WCC) - a fellowship
of 342 churches, in more than 100 countries in all continents from virtually
all Christian traditions. The Roman Catholic Church is not a member church
but works cooperatively with the WCC.
Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance - a global
action network of 87 churches and church-related organizations who have
pledged themselves to change unjust policies and practices related to
global trade and HIV/AIDS, and to take up as a special concern work on
peace and conflict resolution by forging strategic partnerships.
Action by Churches Together (ACT) - an
international alliance of churches and relief agencies assisting thousands
of people recovering from emergencies in more than 50 countries worldwide.
This bulletin/website is intended to provide an ecumenical space for visions
for peace and voices of faith; these materials do not necessarily reflect
official policy of WCC, ACT, or EAA.
Please circulate the Bulletin to friends, colleagues and
people who are looking for alternative perspectives on the current situation.
To subscribe to the bulletin, contact WCC Contact
To share resources, reflections or information, contact WCC Contact
Behind the news: Visions for peace –
Voices of faith