Jesus Christians UK
Non Violent Movements Throughout History page 3
5. The Catholic Workers 1933-Present Day
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London Catholic Workers protest against the Afghan War and in support of Bradley Manning and Michael Lyons outside Downing Street.
Ciaron O'Reilly speaks to media at Belmarsh Magistrates Court about Julian Assange's case.
London Catholic Workers protest against the Afghan War and in support of Bradley Manning and Michael Lyons outside Downing Street.
In response to the popular totalitarian movements of the left and right sweeping the world and the emergence of the United States as the imperial power, the Catholic Worker posited a radical Christian response to poverty and war.
During the Great Depression, communities were formed rediscovering Jesus teaching by working for love, living by faith and opening their communal homes to house the homeless.
They produced a radical news-paper, selling it for a penny and nonviolently resisted the march to war. Many were interned during WW2, burnt draft cards during the Vietnam War and in more recent decades echoed the scriptual mandate to "beat swords into ploughshares" (Isaiah 2:4), by disabling war machinery.
There are presently over two hundred autonomous Catholic Worker communities worldwide.
Londoncatholicworker.org presently run three hospitality houses for refugees, a cafe and a soup kitchen and protest in support of Bradley Manning and Wikileaks founder, Julian Assange.
Catholic Workers reject all state funding and work as volunteers accepting donations.
They practise communal living and the "acts of mercy" (Matthew 25:34-35).
They are often before the courts and imprisoned for blockading military and corporate sites and disabling weapons systems.