Christians start Lent with call for the end of nuclear arms
ASH Wednesday begins the season of Lent, and is a time for repentance, remorse, and a change of heart.
Christians in Liverpool again held what has now become their annual event to express remorse for our government’s decision to renew and retain the Trident nuclear weapon system, and to support the call of Pope Francis and other church leaders to reject the use or possession of nuclear weapons altogether.
As the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) entered into legal force in January 2021, such weapons are now illegal.
The Catholic Bishops of England and
Wales and Scotland issued a joint statement, calling on the UK ’to forsake its nuclear arsenal’ and use the savings ’to alleviate the suffering of the poorest and most vulnerable members of our society, for the Common Good of all peoples’.
The event is organised by Liverpool members of Pax Christi, the International Catholic Peace Movement founded in 1945 to work for peace, reconciliation and the non-violent settlement of differences by negotiation, mutual respect, tolerance and compromise.
In view of the Covid pandemic, the size of this week’s event was much reduced.
The small number of participants did not walk in procession through the city centre as in previous years, but stood masked and safely distanced and carrying placards, in the piazza in front of the Metropolitan Cathedral of Christ the King, as churchgoers arrived at and left midday Mass.
Jan Harper International Catholic Peace Movement
WITH those pesky French officials insisting that our valiant truckers fill in 71 pages of Eurogobbledegook to export a trailer load of British seafood, one could be excused for believing that Britain is now on a war footing with the EU and everyone is out to get us.
That consortium of directionless buffoons in Number 10 still refuse to acknowledge the gravity of an ever-deepening trade crisis threatening our livelihoods and one partly of the Tory’s own making.
What else could possibly go wrong in a land where nothing is real, no-one cares and law and order are illusory?
And as if that weren’t enough post-Christmas misery and a little nearer home, our hard-pressed Birkenhead ambulance drivers are now under attack from mindless feral thugs who probably aren’t French.
In the highly unlikely case of these fiends ever being brought to justice, they could expect a familiarly risible suspended sentence.
Matt Hancock’s ridiculous 10-year sentence for those circumventing the lockdown regulations could be directed at those more deserving, e.g. the dodgy vaccination certificate scammers; the marauding youths; the career miscreants and wife beaters; the list is endless.
Coronavirus may yet turn out to be the least toxic enemy plaguing our shores.
Our home-grown lunatics are not taking over the asylum, they appear to be running it.
Bernie Carroll
RIDICULOUS RULINGS
ANYONE else feel it is ridiculous to impose a 10-year prison sentence for those breaking rules regarding entry to this country from “Red Areas”?
Anyone else feel it is ridiculous to impose a fine of only £200 per person to the two selfish men from Liverpool and Leicester who thought it was a good idea to go camping in Cumbria recently?
I certainly do, in light of the fact one of their volunteer rescuers is now paralysed from the neck down because of their stupidity.
An online fundraiser will only go so far towards his rehabilitation.
His whole family will be severely affected by this forever.
He will never be able to enjoy the life he had.
£400 for a life? Seems very cheap.
Name and address supplied
KEIR HAS NO CHARISMA
HAVING just watched Keir Starmer mumbling away during his statement about the future, I was reminded of a wildlife programme about tortoises.
I was waiting for some passion and interesting dialogue to liven up a completely dull half-hour.
It was like sitting in a pub you have not been in before listening to the local bore.
How the Labour Party expect to win the next General Election I do not know.
The man has no charisma, drive or conviction in what he is saying. If I was looking for a barrister to represent me in court he would be towards the bottom of the list.
This could be why he is now in politics.
John Martin
via email