Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore
Monthly Reflection
Remembering St. Oscar Romero 2026
On this day, the Church remembers the heroic witness of Saint Oscar Romero, the Archbishop of San Salvador who was assassinated on this date in 1980 while celebrating mass, because he dared to proclaim the Gospel without reservation and denounced the powers of death who were threatening the humble people of El Salvador and causing great suffering for them with no accountability. Romero was called “the voice of the voiceless” because he dared to say what no one else would. He named the names of those who had disappeared, he gave voice to the pleas of their families, and he appealed to the consciences of the soldiers who were carrying out illegal orders and terrorizing their own people. Like Romero, the Church in the United States today must be the voice of the voiceless. We need to amplify the voices of those who are left in detention centers (or holding facilities) in unsafe and unhealthy circumstances and without due process. The voices of separated families and children removed ...
Read MoreCardinal McElroy: Iran War is not morally legitimate
(Catholic Standard photo by Mihoko Owada)
Pax Christi Metro DC-Baltimore is a region of Pax Christi USA, a national section of Pax Christi International. Rooted in the Gospel and Catholic Social Teaching, we witness to Jesus’ teaching and example of nonviolence, rejecting war and affirming the sacredness of human life and the dignity of the human person.
Speak Out Against Iran War
We've put together some resources to help you tell your Representatives, Senators, and Bishops what you think about the Iran War. Follow the links below for more information:
- Talking points to use in your letters to Reps and Senators
- A sample letter for Reps and Senators (Word version, PDF version)
- Contact information for Maryland and Virginia reps
- Talking points to use in letters to bishops and USCCB
- A sample letter for bishops and USCCB (Word version, PDF version)
Below are links to statements Pope Leo, Cardinal Cupich, and Cardinal McElroy have issued as well as other groups. Please use these to inform discussions you have with fellow parishioners and your pastor.
Cardinal Cupich criticism of gamification of the War by White House
Priorities
Nuclear Weapons
This article reviews several notable developments relating to nuclear weapons, including the status of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons; the 2024 Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Nihon Hidankyo (organization of Japanese atomic bomb survivors); “Living in the Light of Christ's Peace: A Conversation Toward Nuclear Disarmament,” a pastoral letter by Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe; and the "Back from the Brink" Campaign. Links to additional resources are provided.
VIEW MOREHuman Dignity
The Catholic Church proclaims that human life is sacred. Our passion for peace is rooted in respect for life. The US Conference of Catholic Bishops summarizes the proud tradition of Catholic Social Teaching under seven themes. Life and Dignity of the Human Person is listed first, as the foundation of all succeeding principles and “the foundation of a moral vision for society.” Abortion, euthanasia, the death penalty, and war are cited together as violations of our God-given dignity.
VIEW MOREJust Peace
“No one has greater love,” Jesus said, than “to lay down one’s life for one’s friends” (Jn 15:13), not “to kill others for one’s friends.”
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