Pax Christi USA

415 Michigan Avenue, NE, Suite 240

Washington, DC 20017-4503

Pax Christi USA is the US branch of a Catholic pacifist organization. It was founded in 1945 when French Catholics and German Catholics concluded that having fought and killed each other in the two World Wars, while sharing the same faith, could not have been the will of God. Pax Christi USA was founded in 1972 by a small group of Catholic lay people. PAX Christi USA is still a small organization. The General Endowment has contributed $175 in the past, and the Special Endowment has contributed $2000 in the past.

Pax Christi USA writes:

In 1999, Pax Christi USA began a 20-year initiative, “Brothers and Sisters All,” to transform Pax Christi USA into an anti-racist, multicultural Catholic peace and justice movement. Pax Christi USA seeks to embrace this new identity and do all its work from an anti-racist perspective, in the conviction that personal and systemic racism continues to perpetrate deep spiritual and social brokenness and endangers creation.

Pax Christi USA has a 501(c)(3) status. Its revenue was $830,000, of which $612,000 or 74% is from contributions (the remaining being largely from “other projects”). Its expenses were $819,000, of which $653,000 or 80% were for program services, $151,000 or 18% for management and general, and $16,000 or 2% for fund-raising.

The information provided by Pax Christi USA describes their activities as largely consisting of attending gatherings and conferences. Unfortunately, there is not much evidence that its activities are effective, possibly because it is so small. Also, its initiative to change its mission from its historic peace mission to a justice mission may fragment its efforts. It is eligible for contributions under section 6C1 of the charter, which authorizes contributions: “to projects for the promotion of cooperation between potentially hostile groups, especially between diverse national, racial, religious, sexual, or industrial groups”. I recommend that Pax Christi USA be categorized as “eligible and not currently nominated” from the General Endowment and the Special Endowment. I had hoped to be able to write a positive report rather than a neutral report. If another Trustee thinks that we should contribute, I welcome another report.

Respectfully submitted,

Robert McClenon

15 June 2014