In his message for the World Day of Peace, Pope Francis decried the “devastation” seen worldwide and “the conflicts that presently plague our human family.” The pontiff said that issues were causing “havoc.” He included “the inhuman treatment meted out to migrants, environmental decay, the confusion willfully created by disinformation, the refusal to engage in any form of dialogue, and the immense resources spent on the industry of war.”
He added “All these, taken together, represent a threat to the existence of humanity as a whole.” He next said, “At the beginning of this year, then, we desire to heed the plea of suffering humankind to feel called, together and as individuals, to break the bonds of injustice and to proclaim God’s justice.” He let the world know that he wanted 2025 to “be a year in which peace flourishes.”
Francis informed the audience that “Sporadic acts of philanthropy are not enough. Cultural and structural changes are necessary, so that enduring change may come about.” He went on to say “A true and lasting peace that goes beyond quibbling over the details of agreements and human compromises.” Most controversially, he called for international debt forgiveness.
He said, “I have repeatedly stated that foreign debt has become a means of control whereby certain governments and private financial institutions of the richer countries unscrupulously and indiscriminately exploit the human and natural resources of poorer countries, simply to satisfy the demands of their markets.” The Pope also made a tenuous connection to climate change.
The Pontiff said, “In addition, different peoples, already burdened by international debt, find themselves also forced to bear the burden of the ‘ecological debt’ incurred by the more developed countries.” He also said that “Foreign debt and ecological debt are two sides of the same coin, namely the mindset of exploitation that has culminated in the debt crisis.
“The cultural and structural change needed to surmount this crisis will come about when we finally recognize that we are all sons and daughters of the one Father, that we are all in His debt but also that we need one another, in a spirit of shared and diversified responsibility. We will be able to ‘rediscover once for all that we need one another’ and are indebted one to another.”
He continued, “In the spirit of this Jubilee Year, I urge the international community to work towards forgiving foreign debt in recognition of the ecological debt existing between the North and the South of this world. This is an appeal for solidarity but above all for justice.” “The hope of the world lies in fraternity,” he said. In a prayer, he recently added extra context.
“May the light of Christian hope illumine every man and woman, as a message of God’s love addressed to all.” He added that “other Christians; believers in every religion, and seekers of truth, freedom, justice, and peace — all pilgrims of hope and fraternity.” The Catholic Church holds a jubilee every 25 years where believers are encouraged to forgive debts.