Ash Wednesday this year was marked by several vigils and prayers for peace in our troubled world. This year, events were held in Liverpool, Leeds and London. With the ongoing violence in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as Ukraine and Russia and the conflicts in Africa, there is much to be concerned about, and the fact that nuclear weapons and their threatened use are part of the equation makes the situation even more concerning.

 

Pax Christi’s walk in Liverpool was attended by around 20-30 people, including some new faces. Although small in number, we were clearly visible thanks to our placards, music and bell ringing on a fairly busy day in the city centre.

 

Our vigil focused on nuclear weapons and was an act of repentance for the UK possession of Trident. Also we reflected on the effects of conventional arms sales with our country as the seventh largest exporter of weapons.

 

A new publication by the Catholic Bishops of England and Wales, Called To Be Peacemakers, echoes the consistent message of the Pope, and some extracts were used during our prayers. Ashes were distributed and an image of a Trident nuclear submarine was also marked. It is worth noting that one single Trident warhead has 8 times the explosive power of the atom bomb used on Hiroshima in 1945.

 

Concluding our walk at Liverpool Town Hall, the group heard testimony from Hiroshima survivor Setsuko Thurlow, who was just 13 in 1945 when the bombing took place. This powerful message reminds all nuclear powers of their responsibility to enter into serious discussions for disarmament.

 

Janette Harper of Pax Christi Liverpool commented: “We hope and pray that our small witness connected with others around the world conveys the urgency of steps towards disarmament. And we urge our Liverpool city to follow other cities around the world to adopt the ban and to join other cities for peace.”