Pax Christi holds Ash Wednesday Mass, public witness outside White House to call for a ceasefire

On Wednesday, February 14 in Lafayette Park by the White House, members of Pax Christi USA and Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore; friends and colleagues from groups such as the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, the Franciscan Action Network, the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas, the Dorothy Day Catholic Worker, and Churches for Middle East Peace; and many other peacemakers celebrated Mass, distributed ashes, and joined in an ecumenical public witness to call attention to and in mourning for the tens of thousands of lives that have been destroyed in Gaza and Israel since October 7, 2023.

Use this link to read a report on the Mass and public witness from Religion News Service.

Fr. Joe Nangle, OFM, Pax Christi USA Ambassador of Peace and the 2023 Teacher of Peace, was the celebrant for the liturgy, with songs led by Art Laffin, Pax Christi USA’s 2016 Teacher of Peace. During the ecumenical public witness, held on Pennsylvania Avenue, speakers included Art; Susan Gunn (Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns) and Russ Testa (Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Animator for the Franciscan Friars); Philip Farah (Palestinian Christian Alliance for Peace); Michele Dunne (Franciscan Action Network); Emily Parker (United Church of Christ); and Rev. Adam Taylor (Sojourners.)

During the public witness, Rev. Graylan Hagler, adviser to the Fellowship of Reconciliation and pastor emeritus of the Plymouth Congregational United Church of Christ, gave a reflection on our shared complicity in the bloodshed taking place in the Holy Land, and led a somber anointing of hands with symbolic blood.

Yesterday’s events were the start of a Lenten Ceasefire campaign, which will be a series of weekly strategic nonviolent actions to take place during Lent to call on President Biden, a Catholic, and members of Congress, particularly those who are Christian, to abide by Jesus’ way of courageous love and urge them to:

• Publicly call for bilateral ceasefire to prevent the further loss of life
• Support demilitarization rather than supplying additional military aid or arms to Israel 
• Focus on a release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners held without due process 
• Support robust humanitarian assistance and restarting U.S. government funding to UNRWA, the UN agency supporting Palestinian refugees
• Work diplomatically to end the siege on Gaza and end the occupation of the Palestinian Territory in order to address the root causes of the violence, accountability for harm, and move all parties toward a lasting, just peace that protects all human life and ensures long-term security and sustainability in the Middle East

The organizations involved with this Lenten campaign believe that the focus must shift to diplomacy, accountability mechanisms, and strategic peacebuilding, and that neither war nor retribution is sustainable. We believe urgent action is needed to stop the mass slaughter, destruction, and generational trauma.

Thanks to friends from Maryknoll and the Franciscans for sharing photos.