Hildegard Goss-Mayr (born 22 January 1930,

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

) is an

Austria Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...

n nonviolent activist and

Christian theologian Christian theology is the theology of Christian belief and practice. Such study concentrates primarily upon the texts of the Old Testament and of the New Testament, as well as on Christian tradition. Christian theologians use biblical exegesis ...

Life and commitment

Daughter of Kaspar Mayr, founder of the Austrian branch of the

International Fellowship of Reconciliation The International Fellowship of Reconciliation (IFOR) is a non-governmental organization founded in 1914 in response to the horrors of war in Europe. Today IFOR counts 71 branches, groups and affiliates in 48 countries on all continents. IFOR me ...

, she studied Philosophy in

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

and

New Haven New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,023 ...

. In 1958, she married Jean Goss (1912–1991), a French peace activist; the couple had two children, Myriam and Etienne. She and her husband were in Rome during the Council

Vatican II The Second Ecumenical Council of the Vatican, commonly known as the , or , was the 21st ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church. The council met in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome for four periods (or sessions), each lasting between 8 and ...

lobbying for the recognition of the

conscientious objection A conscientious objector (often shortened to conchie) is an "individual who has claimed the right to refuse to perform military service" on the grounds of freedom of thought, conscience, or religion. The term has also been extended to objecti ...

by the Roman Catholic Church. In the 1960s/70s, they lived and worked for some time in South America, training groups in active nonviolence and helping in the creation of the SERPAJ, whose first coordinator was Adolfo Pérez Esquivel. They trained others groups in active nonviolence in many countries, in Europe, Asia, Middle East and Africa. They participated in the preparation of the People Power Revolution in

Philippines The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no), * bik, Republika kan Filipinas * ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas * cbk, República de Filipinas * hil, Republ ...

in 1986. Jean Goss and Hildegard Goss-Mayr shared several Peace Prizes, included the

Bruno Kreisky Award The Bruno Kreisky Prize for Human Rights is a biennial award created in October 1976 on the occasion of the 65th birthday of Bruno Kreisky. The laureates are rewarded for their achievements in the field of human rights. The prize was divided in 199 ...

in Austria in 1979, the Pax Christi USA Pope Paul VI Teacher of Peace Award in 1986, and the Pfeffer Peace Prize in 1990. In 1991, Goss-Mayr has also won the

Niwano Peace Prize The Niwano Peace Prize is given to honor and encourage those devoting themselves to interreligious co-operation in the cause of peace and to make their achievements known. Its foundation hopes that the prize will further promote interreligious co-o ...

, in Japan, and, in 2009, the Pacem in Terris Peace and Freedom Award, from the Diocese of Davenport, Iowa. She is currently the honorary president of the

. She was nominated for the

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Chemistry, Physics, Physiolog ...

in 1979, in 1987 and in 2005 among the « 1000 women for the Nobel Peace Prize 2005 » by '' PeaceWomen Across the Globe.''

Bibliography

* ''Une autre révolution. Violence des non-violents'', Paris, Cerf, 1969. * ''Der Mensch vor dem Unrecht. Spiritualität und Praxis. Gewaltlose Befreiung'', Vienna, 1976. * Gérard Hoover, ''Jean et Hildegard Goss-Mayr, La non-violence, c'est la vie'', Arudis, Utovie, 1986. * ''Évangile et luttes de paix'', Paris, Bergers et Mages, 1989. * ''Friede braucht Bewegung. Analysen und Perspektiven der Friedensbewegung in Österreich'', with Thomas Roithner and Pete Hämmerle. * ''Oser le combat non-violent aux côtés de Jean Goss'', Paris, Cerf, 1998, preface by cardinal

Franz König Franz König (3 August 1905 – 13 March 2004) was an Austrian Cardinal of the Catholic Church. He served as archbishop of Vienna from 1956 to 1985, and was elevated to the cardinalate in 1958. The last surviving cardinal elevated by Pope John ...

. * With Jo Hanssens, ''Jean Goss. Mystique et militant de la non-violence'', Namur, Fidélité, 2010, preface by Adolfo Pérez Esquivel.

Biography

* Richard Deats, ''Marked for life. The story of Hildegard Goss-Mayr'', Hyde Park (NY), New City Press, 2009.

References

External links

Catholic Peace Fellowship article on her and her husband

Hildegard Goss-Mayr: The greatest living peacemaker
by US pacifist

John Dear John Dear (born August 13, 1959) is an American Catholic priest, peace activist, lecturer, and author of 35 books on peace and nonviolence. He has spoken on peace around the world, organized hundreds of demonstrations against war, injustice and nu ...

, SJ, in ''National Catholic Reporter'', 3 Feb. 2009 {{DEFAULTSORT:Goss-Mayr, Hildegard 1930 births Living people 20th-century Austrian Roman Catholic theologians Writers from Vienna Austrian anti-war activists Nonviolence advocates Pfeffer Peace Prize laureates 21st-century Austrian Roman Catholic theologians

Life and commitment

Bibliography

Biography

See also

References

External links