In 1936 the founders of PAX aimed at 'resistance to modern
warfare on grounds of traditional morality'. Believing that
'just war' criteria could no longer be met, they called
themselves pacifists. Although most members were Roman
Catholic Pax did not claim to be a 'Catholic society' because
the RC Church at that time took an opposing view, particularly
of conscientious objection. Church authorities attempted to
censor Pax literature and instructed clergy to resign from the
society.
Pax supported conscientious objectors during the Second World
War. When membership declined afterwards it continued to
publish the Pax Bulletin and to provide a forum where
Catholics could debate theological and practical questions of
war and peace. By the 1960s Pax had gained some distinguished
sponsors and a branch in the United States - support which
enabled it to influence debate at the Second Vatican Council
in 1965. The Council endorsed the right to conscientious
objection. In 1971 Pax merged with Pax Christi, the
international Catholic peace organisation which began in
France in 1944/45.
This is the first detailed historical study of the Roman
Catholic element in the British peace movement. The story of
Pax demonstrates the part that even a small pressure group can
play in changing public opinion through patient work.
Eventually, despite apathy and opposition, Pax helped bring
the RC Church to a recognition of the right to conscientious
objection and played a crucial role in the development of a
more widespread peace movement within the Church
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:BRADFORD/oai:bradscholars.brad.ac.uk:10454/3801 |
| Date | January 1991 |
| Creators | Flessati, Valerie |
| Publisher | University of Bradford, Department of Peace Studies |
| Source Sets | Bradford Scholars |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, doctoral, PhD |
| Rights | <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="http://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc-nd/3.0/88x31.png" /></a><br />The University of Bradford theses are licenced under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/">Creative Commons Licence</a>. |
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