Peace & Solidarity

Support for Peace and Human Rights in Armenia
and Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh

The Catholic Justice and Peace Europe network has requested lead candidates for the European elections to support a strong engagement of the European Union with Armenia and Armenian refugees and internally displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh over the next European political cycle.

In recent weeks, the Co-Presidents of Justice and Peace Europe, Maria Hammershoy and Mgr Antoine Hérouard have written letters to the lead candidates of several parties for the European elections regarding the critical situation of Armenia and Armenian refugees and internally displaced persons from Nagorno-Karabakh… Read more »

Blood-soaked bread

On 29 February 2024, at least 118 hungry Palestinians were killed and 760 injured in Gaza City. Instead of food, they found death. Instead of bread, they encountered violence. Since then, the levels of hunger and suffering endured by Palestinians in Gaza have worsened, whilst countless thousands have lost their lives in the violence which was unleashed as retribution for the horrific 7th October attack on Israel… Read more »

Continued solidarity with the people of Ukraine

The Secretaries General of the European Justice and Peace Commissions met in Berlin between the 9th and 11th February, as an alternative to the scheduled place of Lviv, which was not considered safe enough due to the ongoing war in Ukraine. In Berlin, we listened to refugees from Ukraine and to organisations supporting them. On Saturday evening we prayed for peace in front of the Russian embassy and on Sunday, we celebrated the Holy Eucharist together with the local Ukrainian Greek-Catholic parish… Read more »

What is happening in Nagorno Karabakh?

Date: 30 January 2024 at 4pm CET
You can register here: https://forms.gle/PfqHond7wtxCiBSc9

In the unprovoked 2020 war, in the large-scale attack of September 2022, and in numerous military border incursions, Armenia and its territory became a direct military target of Azerbaijan. Since
2020, 145,000 Karabakh Armenians have become refugees in Armenia, many of whom arrived after the Azerbaijani war for the complete conquest of Karabakh in September 2023… Read more »

World day of Peace: “Artificial Intelligence and Peace”

Every year, on the 1st of January, the Holy Father marks the World Day of Peace with a special message encouraging all people to reflect on the important work of building peace. The theme chosen for 2024 is ‘Artificial Intelligence and Peace’.

On the 1st of January itself or in the days leading up to this important day, the Justice and Peace Commission invites all Families, Communities, Churches and Parishes to gather for a moment of prayer, reflection or silent adoration to invoke the gift of peace for the whole world, especially for those people who are suffering most because of ongoing conflicts… Read more »

Commemorating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights amidst escalating violence

The commemoration of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights on the 10th December this year is taking place in the shadow of an ever-widening spiral of violence, risking humanity’s condemnation to a future of unimaginable pain, fear, and destruction. In response, the Justice and Peace Commission unreservedly condemns the horrific acts of violence that are once again ravaging the Holy Land and its people and calls for a radical shift from a global paradigm of violent war and revenge to a paradigm of just peace and reconciliation… Read more »

A peace that is built on justice – Bishop Galea-Curmi

Homily by Bishop Joseph Galea-Curmi (The Chapel of Our Lady of Manresa at the Archbishop’s Curia, Floriana, 13/11/2023)

The first words in today’s readings are: “Love justice” (Wisdom 1:1). In his Encyclical Fratelli Tutti, Pope Francis emphasizes that peace is built on justice. It is proactive, and aims at forming a society based on service to others and on the pursuit of reconciliation and mutual development (cf Fratelli Tutti, 229)… Read more »

Written in blood

In this time of seismic change and instability, many of us are finding the scale of injustice overwhelming. It can be inspiring to look to the Christian martyrs for justice whose lives were “written in blood” – extraordinary people whose stories of truth, justice and peace, in the face of indifference and opposition, offered witness to a hope-filled future of solidarity and fraternity. But what are the causes of injustice in our time, and what does it mean to live a life written in blood today? … Read more »

Justice and Peace Europe has a new co-presidency

The General Assembly of Justice and Peace Europe elected for the first time in its history a co- presidency on Monday, 13 November in Malta. Archbishop Antoine Hérouard of Dijon and Maria Hammershoy from Copenhagen were elected for a period of three years by the approximately 50 delegates representing 20 European Justice and Peace commissions. On 10 November Sr. Alessandra Smerilli, secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development was the key-note speaker in the opening ceremony of an International Workshop on “the changing world of work” which preceded the General Assembly… Read more »

Written in Blood

On Sunday the 12th of November at 18:30, Justice and Peace Europe will be hosting its annual lecture in the oratory of St John’s co-Cathedral, Valletta. Among other masterpieces, this oratory hosts the painting depicting the Beheading of St John the Baptist, by the Italian maestro Caravaggio who signed his name in the blood of the Baptist.

Even today, there are people whose stories of truth, justice and peace are Written in blood… Read more »