Pax Christi

Pax Christi International is an international Catholic peace movement. The Pax Christi International website claims its mission is "to transform a world shaken by violence, terrorism, deepening inequalities, and global insecurity."[1]

Pax Christi International Logo

History

Pax Christi (Latin for Peace of Christ) was established in France in 1945 through the inspiration of Marthe Dortel-Claudot and Bishop Pierre-Marie Théas. Both were French citizens interested in reconciliation between French and German citizens in the aftermath of World War II.[2] Some of the first actions of Pax Christi were the organisation of peace pilgrimages and other actions fostering reconciliation between France and Germany. Although Pax Christi initially began as a movement for French-German reconciliation, it expanded its focus and spread to other European countries in the 1950s and grew as “a crusade of prayer for peace among all nations.”[3]

Pax Christi was recognized as the “the official international Catholic peace movement” by Pope Pius XII in 1952.[4]

In 1983, Pax Christi International was awarded the UNESCO Peace Education Prize.[5]

The Pax Christi network membership is made up of 18 national sections and 115 Member Organizations working in over 50 countries.

Peace work

Pax Christi focuses on five main issues: human rights, human security, disarmament and demilitarization, just world order, and religion and peace.[6]

Organization

Pax Christi is made up of national sections of the movement, affiliated organizations and partner organizations. Its International Secretariat is in Brussels. Pax Christi has consultative status as a non-governmental organization at the United Nations.[7]

International Presidents of Pax Christi

In 2007, a co-presidency was created, a Bishop and a lay woman.[8]

See also

References

  1. ↑ Pax Christi International
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ Pogorelc, Anthony J., ‘’Encyclopedia of American Religion and Politics," 2003, Pg. 317
  4. ↑ Dennis, Marie, “Pax Christi International” ‘’CMSM Forum," Summer 2008
  5. ↑ https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=plAOAQAAMAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=Unesco+Prize+for+Peace+Education
  6. ↑
  7. ↑ "Our History," Pax Christ USA
  8. ↑ http://www.paxchristi.net/about-us/history

Further reading

External links

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