Catholic pacifists plan Ash Wednesday protest
Ash Wednesday protest to call on government, society and individuals to repent of their involvement in war
Catholic pacifists have appealed to members of other Christian traditions to join them in an act of witness at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) next month.
On Ash Wednesday, which this year falls on 13 February, they will call on government, society and individuals to repent of their involvement in war.
Ash Wednesday is traditionally observed by anointing the heads of believers with ashes as a sign of repentance. The Catholic activists plan to imitate the practice by anointing part of the ‘head’ – the government – of Britain. The MoD offices will be marked with charcoal.
The action has been carried out in recent years with the support of the London Catholic Worker, Pax Christi and Christian CND. They hope that more people will now become involved.
‘Ash Wednesday is the beginning of Lent and the journey to Holy Week where we recall the events that led Jesus to arrest, sentence and execution,’ explained Catholic priest Martin Newell. ‘Those who mark the MoD walls are risking arrest and beginning a journey that can lead to court and prison.’
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