Five ways to pray for peace
October 26, 2023
As we witness the escalating violence in the Middle East, here’s five ways we could join the Pope in praying for peace.
Continue reading “Five ways to pray for peace “Tag: Peace and Justice
Pacem in Terris, 60 years on
April 10, 2023
On the 60th anniversary of Pope St John XXIII’s papal encyclical Pacem in Terris (Peace on Earth), we reflect on its important messages for our world today.
Continue reading “Pacem in Terris, 60 years on”Timeless inspiration for the new year
December 31, 2022
As 2022 drew to a close, we heard the sad news of the death of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. As we look to the year ahead, Caroline Stanton, of CAFOD’s Theology team, reflects on New Year’s resolutions and three ways of deepening prayer in 2023.
Continue reading “Timeless inspiration for the new year”Sewing for solidarity and peace
December 17, 2021
The CAFOD group at St George’s parish in Norwich, Norfolk, has been standing in solidarity with communities overseas for years. The parish group holds events every month of the year, including fundraising events such as marmalade sales, parish lunches and Christmas lucky dips. This Advent they also sold two nativity sets, which they made out of fabric.
Continue reading “Sewing for solidarity and peace”Towards a world after coronavirus in Honduras
July 1, 2020
Father Melo is the Director of CAFOD’s longstanding Church partner ERIC-Radio Progreso in Honduras, which works on communications and research focusing on migration, integral ecology and defending human rights. As ERIC celebrates its 40th anniversary, Father Melo talks about the current situation in Honduras, the impact of coronavirus, his ideas for an alternative development, the organisation’s achievements and their hopes for the next 10 years.
Continue reading “Towards a world after coronavirus in Honduras”Gospel reflection: A reminder to stay true to the command to love
August 31, 2018
Sue Allerton, from Our Lady of Grace parish near Manchester reflects on our true qualities in this week’s gospel (Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23).
Based on the gospel for Sunday 2 September 2018 – Mark 7:1-8, 14-15, 21-23.
“Our true qualities are to be seen in our words and deeds”.
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Disappearance: Torture without end
August 30, 2018
On International Day of the Disappeared, CAFOD’s Clare Dixon shares the story of people who worked at the height of the conflict in El Salvador to make sure people killed by death squads did not just disappear without a trace. Sadly, some of the details of this story are distressing.
The first time I visited El Salvador in 1981 the country was plunged in a brutal civil war. Thousands of ordinary men and women were being targeted by the army and death squads, just for demanding their basic human rights, a decent wage, and freedom of speech. Nobody ventured out after dark for fear of being arrested or just snatched off the streets and I felt an overwhelming sense of fear and dread.
Archbishop Romero, the “voice of the voiceless” who had espoused and defended the cause of the poor and oppressed, had been shot dead as he said Mass in 1980. A year later I was visiting El Salvador to meet with members of his Archdiocese who, with the support of CAFOD, had set up a human rights office. Its task was to provide legal aid to help and comfort the countless victims of violence who had nowhere else to turn when their loved ones had “disappeared” after being captured by the death squads.
Gospel reflection: There is no easy road to peace
August 24, 2018
Linda Jones from our Theology team reflects on the challenges of Jesus’s teaching in this week’s gospel (John 6:60-69)
Based on the gospel for Sunday 26 August – John 6:60-69
“This teaching is difficult, who can accept it?”
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A livesimply parish group transforms lives of local refugees
January 31, 2018
Carol Chilton, a Justice and Peace and livesimply group member from St John the Baptist Cathedral in Norwich shares how their livesimply group made a real difference to local refugees.
It all started with a phone call
There’s a whole network of underground support for refugees and asylum seekers in Norwich. I didn’t know about any of it until I made a phone call to find out what our group could do to help.
We heard from a health visitor that families were being moved into the area, but the accommodation they were staying in was so dirty. The families had nothing to clean it with.
Discover our campaign Share the Journey to stand up for the dignity of refugees
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“I wanted to be more dead than alive.” Meet one woman building peace in Colombia
August 2, 2017
For more than fifty years Colombia has been ravaged by an armed conflict that has impacted the lives of millions of people. Despite a peace deal with the FARC guerrillas, there has been an alarming increase in attacks against human rights defenders. CAFOD’s Laura Ouseley meets Liney Contreras, one the women who is speaking out.
“When I was younger I wanted to be a teacher” says Liney. “But that all changed. After the attack I wanted to be more dead than alive. My dreams went out the window.”
Liney Contreras, from Colombia, is telling me about the moment her life changed forever when she was just 16 years old. She was in Medellin to register for university, walking with two friends when a car bomb went off. “I lost my right arm and broke my leg in the explosion. I spent 6 months in hospital.”
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