Pax Christi International

Pax Christi International is a Catholic peace movement and international civil-society network headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. It emerged in France in March 1945, during the closing phase of the Second World War, through the work of Marthe Dortel-Claudot and Bishop Pierre-Marie Théas. Its initial purpose was to encourage reconciliation between French and German people after years of occupation, violence, and political hostility. Early activities included prayer initiatives, reconciliation events, and pilgrimages intended to rebuild relationships across national and religious lines. During the 1950s, the movement expanded beyond the French-German context and developed a broader international mission. It came to describe itself as a crusade for peace among nations and established links and sections in several European countries. In 1952, Pope Pius XII recognized Pax Christi as the official international Catholic peace movement. That recognition helped establish its identity within the Catholic peace tradition while leaving it organized as a network of national sections, affiliated organizations, and partners rather than as a conventional commercial enterprise. Pax Christi’s work broadened further during the civil-rights era. In the 1960s, its activists were involved in Mississippi, including efforts to support civil-rights protesters and challenge racial discrimination through economic boycotts of businesses that excluded Black people. Over subsequent decades, the movement developed programs and public positions concerning human rights, human security, nonviolence, demilitarization, nuclear disarmament, conflict prevention, extractive industries in Latin America, and peacebuilding in Israel and Palestine. The organization operates through an international network reported as comprising 18 national sections and approximately 115 member organizations working in more than 50 countries. Its international secretariat is based in Brussels, and it holds consultative status with the United Nations as a nongovernmental organization. Its activities include advocacy, educational work, campaigning, policy engagement, solidarity with local peacebuilders, and support for nonviolent approaches to conflict. Since 1988, Pax Christi International has presented the Pax Christi International Peace Award to peace organizations and activists. The award reflects the movement’s emphasis on grassroots peacebuilding and human-rights work. In 1983, Pax Christi received the UNESCO Peace Education Prize, marking international recognition of its contribution to peace education. Pax Christi is best understood as an advocacy and membership network rather than a product brand. Its public positioning combines Catholic social thought, nonviolence, reconciliation, disarmament, and human dignity. The movement has also faced internal and public controversy, including criticism concerning antisemitism connected with an event supported by an Austrian Pax Christi branch. In 2017, Bishop Manfred Scheuer resigned as chair of that branch and cited the treatment of Jewish attendees at a Pax Christi-sponsored lecture as one reason. The incident illustrates the scrutiny faced by a movement active in contentious international debates, particularly around Israel and Palestine. The international presidency has included senior Catholic clergy and lay peace advocates. A co-presidency structure was introduced in 2007, pairing a bishop with a lay woman. As of the source material, Sr. Teresia Wamuyu Wachira and Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo served as co-presidents from 2019 onward. Pax Christi International remains active as a transnational Catholic peace network focused on transforming societies affected by violence, terrorism, inequality, and insecurity.

Pax Christi was founded in France in March 1945 by Marthe Dortel-Claudot and Bishop Pierre-Marie Théas. The organization arose in the immediate aftermath of the German occupation of France and before the formal end of the war in Europe. Its original purpose was reconciliation between French and German communities, with prayer, pilgrimages, and personal encounters used to repair relationships damaged by wartime violence and nationalism. In its first years, Pax Christi functioned as a spiritual and civic reconciliation movement. Its activities emphasized the idea that peace required more than diplomatic agreements: it also depended on changed relationships among ordinary people. During the 1950s, the movement expanded into additional European countries and broadened its scope from French-German reconciliation to international peace. It increasingly presented itself as a prayer-based movement for peace among all nations. Pope Pius XII recognized Pax Christi as the official international Catholic peace movement in 1952. This recognition placed it within the Catholic Church’s wider peace tradition while the organization continued to operate through a network structure. Rather than becoming a centralized commercial institution, Pax Christi developed national sections, affiliated organizations, and partner groups with an international secretariat. The movement’s agenda expanded during the 1960s. In Mississippi, Pax Christi participants supported civil-rights activism and joined efforts to challenge racial discrimination, including economic boycotts of businesses that discriminated against Black people. This work connected the movement’s religious commitment to peace with broader struggles for equality, dignity, and social justice. Over time, Pax Christi developed a broad peace and human-security portfolio. Its areas of concern have included human rights, nonviolence, demilitarization, nuclear disarmament, conflict prevention, and the social and environmental consequences of extractive industries in Latin America. It has also supported renewed peace efforts concerning Israel and Palestine. These subjects have made the organization an advocacy participant in politically sensitive debates as well as a faith-based peace network. International recognition followed in 1983, when Pax Christi received the UNESCO Peace Education Prize. Beginning in 1988, it established the Pax Christi International Peace Award, honoring peace organizations and activists. The award became one of the movement’s continuing public expressions of support for grassroots peacebuilders. The international network is described as having 18 national sections and about 115 member organizations working in more than 50 countries. Its international secretariat is located in Brussels, and Pax Christi has consultative status with the United Nations as a nongovernmental organization. This structure allows the movement to combine local campaigns with international advocacy and Catholic peace education. The organization’s leadership has historically included prominent Catholic bishops and cardinals. The presidency passed through Maurice Feltin, Bernard Alfrink, Luigi Bettazzi, Franz König, Godfried Danneels, and Michel Sabbah before a co-presidency model was introduced in 2007. Under that model, a bishop and a lay woman jointly represented the international movement. The listed co-presidents were Laurent Monsengwo and Marie Dennis from 2007 to 2010, followed by Marie Dennis and Kevin Dowling from 2010 to 2019. Sr. Teresia Wamuyu Wachira and Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo are listed as serving from 2019 onward. Pax Christi has also faced criticism over conduct associated with its national sections. In 2017, Bishop Manfred Scheuer resigned as chair of the Austrian branch, citing antisemitism and the verbal harassment of Jewish people attending a lecture sponsored by the branch. The matter became part of the public discussion surrounding the movement’s positions and activities, especially its engagement with Israel-Palestine issues. Pax Christi International remains an active international peace network whose principal work consists of advocacy, education, campaigning, nonviolent action, and support for reconciliation and human rights.

• 2019

  New international co-presidents begin service

  [1]Pax Christien.wikipedia.org

  Sr. Teresia Wamuyu Wachira and Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo are listed as the movement’s international co-presidents.

• 2007

  Introduces a co-presidency structure

  [1]Pax Christien.wikipedia.org

  Pax Christi creates a co-presidency combining a bishop and a lay woman.

• 1988

  Launches the Pax Christi International Peace Award

  [1]Pax Christien.wikipedia.org

  The movement begins honoring peace organizations and activists through an annual international peace award.

• 1983

  Receives the UNESCO Peace Education Prize

  [1]Pax Christien.wikipedia.org

  UNESCO recognizes Pax Christi for its contribution to peace education.

• 1960

  Civil-rights support in Mississippi

  [1]Pax Christien.wikipedia.org

  Pax Christi becomes involved in Mississippi civil-rights work, including economic boycotts targeting discriminatory businesses.

• 1952

  Recognized as the official international Catholic peace movement

  [1]Pax Christien.wikipedia.org

  Pope Pius XII recognizes Pax Christi as the official international Catholic peace movement.

• 1945

  Pax Christi is established in France

  [1]Pax Christien.wikipedia.org

  Marthe Dortel-Claudot and Bishop Pierre-Marie Théas establish Pax Christi to promote reconciliation between French and German people after the Second World War.

A Catholic, international, nonviolent peace network that links grassroots organizations, national sections, and policy advocacy around reconciliation, human rights, disarmament, and peacebuilding.

• Advocacy

  Peace advocacy

  Pax Christi develops public advocacy on peace, human rights, human security, and conflict prevention. Its work is carried out through international statements, campaigns, member organizations, national sections, and engagement with institutions such as the United Nations.

• Education

  Nonviolence and peace education

  The movement promotes nonviolent approaches to conflict and provides educational and formation-oriented resources rooted in Catholic peace traditions. Its peace-education work connects spiritual practice with civic action, reconciliation, human dignity, and social justice.

• Advocacy

  Disarmament and demilitarization campaigns

  Pax Christi campaigns on disarmament, demilitarization, and nuclear disarmament. These activities seek to challenge excessive reliance on military force and encourage political, social, and nonviolent alternatives to insecurity.

• Award · 1988

  Pax Christi International Peace Award

  Established in 1988, the Pax Christi International Peace Award recognizes peace organizations and activists. It gives public visibility to grassroots peacebuilding and reflects the movement’s emphasis on nonviolent action, human rights, reconciliation, and solidarity.

• 2017

  Controversy over antisemitism at an Austrian branch event

  Bishop Manfred Scheuer resigned as chair of the Austrian branch of Pax Christi, citing antisemitism and verbal harassment directed at Jewish attendees of a lecture sponsored by the branch.

  Source

Read more

• 1960Mississippi civil-rights support

  United States

  Pax Christi participated in efforts supporting civil-rights protesters in Mississippi and challenged discriminatory businesses through economic boycotts.

  Outcome. The activity extended Pax Christi’s peace mission into racial justice and civil-rights advocacy.

  Source
• 1945French-German reconciliation

  France · Germany · Europe

  Pax Christi began with prayer initiatives, kindness pilgrimages, and personal encounters designed to rebuild trust between French and German communities after the war.

  Outcome. The reconciliation focus became the foundation for the movement’s later international expansion.

  Source
• Nuclear disarmament and demilitarization

  International

  Pax Christi advocates nuclear disarmament, demilitarization, and nonviolent approaches to human security.

  Source
• Israel-Palestine peace advocacy

  Israel · Palestine · International

  The movement supports a renewed peace process and human-rights-oriented engagement concerning Israel and Palestine.

  Source

• 2007

  Creation of a co-presidencyStrategy

  Background

  Pax Christi had historically been led through a single international presidency, generally held by a senior Catholic cleric.

  Action taken

  The movement introduced a structure pairing a bishop with a lay woman as international co-presidents.

  Aftermath

  The structure broadened the public leadership model while retaining a strong Catholic identity.

  Source

• 1988

  Establishment of the Pax Christi International Peace AwardOther

  Background

  Pax Christi sought to recognize peace work carried out by activists and organizations around the world.

  Action taken

  The movement began granting an international peace award to peace organizations and activists.

  Aftermath

  The award became a continuing platform for highlighting grassroots peacebuilding.

  Source

1. 1Pax Christien.wikipedia.org
2. 2Pax Christi International official websitepaxchristi.net