Pope Francis’s message 2017

Nonviolence: a style of politics for peace

Hastings Against War will be hosting a talk from Henrietta Cullinan, a London Catholic Worker, who’s recently back from Afghanistan and will speak about her experiences and Pope Francis’s teachings on peace and non-violence. Rona Drennan writes.

Henrietta Cullinan is a speaker recommended by local peace activist, John Lynes and well known to Maya Evans in her work with Voices for Creative Nonviolence.

Maya Evans and Henrietta Cullinan

In his New Years Day message this year, Pope Francis calls for ‘nonviolence – a style of politics for peace’. This is the Catholic Church’s first statement on nonviolence in the manner of Gandhi and Martin Luther King in history.

But where does this idea come from? What is the context of this message for Catholics? What do Christians think the Gospel is telling them about nonviolence?How have Christian peacemakers reacted to his message?

This talk will be a chance to look at some of the scripture passages that inspire the Christian call to non-violence followed by an update on the work of the Just Peace conference in the Vatican in April 2017.

Henrietta Cullinan is a peace activist and writer. She is a long term member of the London Catholic Worker, a Christian anarchist group that offers hospitality to refugees and destitute asylum seekers in North London, and part of the international Catholic Worker movement. She has visited Afghanistan twice with Voices for Creative Nonviolence.

Nonviolence: a style of politics for peace: The Teachings of Pope Francis,2017 Entrance free. All welcome. Tuesday 7 November 2017 at 7pm at the Quaker Meeting House, 5 South Terrace, Hastings, TN34 1SA

Talk organised by Hastings against War.For more information, email: info@hastingsagainstwar.org

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