Pax Christi

Pax Christi International is an international Catholic peace movement. The Pax Christi International website claims its mission is "to transform a world shaken by violence, terrorism, deepening inequalities, and global insecurity."

Pax Christi (Latin for Peace of Christ) was established in France in 1945 through the inspiration of Marthe Dortel-Claudot and Bishop Pierre-Marie Théas. Both were French citizens interested in reconciliation between French and German citizens in the aftermath of World War II. Some of the first actions of Pax Christi were the organisation of peace pilgrimages and other actions fostering reconciliation between France and Germany. Although Pax Christi initially began as a movement for French-German reconciliation, it expanded its focus and spread to other European countries in the 1950s and grew as “a crusade of prayer for peace among all nations.”

Pax Christi was recognized as the “the official international Catholic peace movement” by Pope Pius XII in 1952.

In 1983, Pax Christi International was awarded the UNESCO Peace Education Prize.

The Pax Christi network membership is made up of 18 national sections and 115 Member Organizations working in over 50 countries.

Pax Christi focuses on five main issues: human rights, human security, disarmament and demilitarization, just world order, and religion and peace.

Pax Christi is made up of national sections of the movement, affiliated organizations and partner organizations. Its International Secretariat is in Brussels. Pax Christi has consultative status as a non-governmental organization at the United Nations.

In 2007, a co-presidency was created, a bishop and a lay woman.

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