by Joe Burns, Commission Member
It was a select group of 14 people who gathered in Dortmund Square, just off the Headrow in Leeds, to hold an Ash Wednesday service of repentance for the continued possession of nuclear weapons. It was a very cold day, so it was not too surprising that there was not a large gathering. Nevertheless, sometimes faith propels us to do things when, otherwise, we might prefer to stay somewhere much warmer. Possession and possible use of nuclear weapons is something that successive popes have spoken out against and we wanted to express our solidarity with those views through our prayers.
The Leeds Diocese Pax Christi group had organised the service with prayers and readings from a variety of sources – including Pope Leo and Daniel Berrigan. Although held in central Leeds, people had come from Skipton, Bingley, Harrogate, Garforth and Birstall – as well as Leeds. As well as Pax Christi group members there were also 4 Commission members who took part in the service.
Pax Christi member, Tim Devereux, was interviewed the following day by Radio Maria. He was asked,
“You, Tim, are the prime minister. Peace negotiations with Russia have failed and Mr Putin has fired a nuclear weapon at Leeds. Do you fire back?”
Tim provided two answers!:
1. No – if Putin is lobbing nukes at us, the nuclear doctrine of Mutually Assured Destruction, MAD, has lived up to its acronym and clearly failed. Leeds, Yorkshire and the UK will be destroyed, but I can’t see the point of joining the ranks of mass murderers myself, so I wouldn’t unleash UK missiles.
2. Well if I’m PM, I would have already implemented Article 6 of the 56-year-old Non Proliferation Treaty, where all Parties undertook
“to pursue good-faith negotiations on effective measures relating to cessation of the nuclear arms race, to nuclear disarmament, and to general and complete disarmament.”
So UK would have signed the 5 year old Treaty for the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons and scrapped our nukes. In which case, I don’t think even Putin would be targeting us.
Enough said!
