Responding to an appeal described as “urgent” by Pope Francis in the bull of convocation for the Jubilee, several Claretian missionaries holding significant responsibilities within the Congregation have joined more than a hundred religious leaders worldwide in urging the governments of the G20 to reconsider the debts that disproportionately burden the world’s poorest nations.
The G20 finance ministers gathered in South Africa, where they received firsthand the petition signed by several Catholic cardinals and prominent representatives from other Christian denominations, including Methodist, Lutheran, and Presbyterian churches. This campaign—strongly supported by Caritas International—has also garnered backing from the general secretaries of the World Council of Churches, various Catholic episcopal conferences in Europe, and organizations such as Pax Christi International, CAFOD, and VIVAT.
The petition underscores the urgency of the moment, as more than 40% of the global population resides in countries forced to allocate more resources to debt repayment than to education, healthcare, or climate disaster prevention. The campaign calls for a dedicated United Nations conference on the issue and a greater commitment to protecting the poorest and most vulnerable, who are frequently deprived of essential services and exposed to hunger.
Among the signatories are the General Prefects of Spirituality, Economy, and Apostolate (Frs. Sánchez Miranda, Tamargo, and Belderrain, CMFF) and the General Coordinators of the Secretariat of JPIC, the General Mission Procurator, and the Congregation’s team at the United Nations (Frs. Llamas, Lord Winner, and Rohan Dominic, CMFF).
The campaign advocating for a reassessment of debt, under the theme “Transforming Debt into Hope,” continues to gain momentum and remains open for individuals to support personally.
For more information: www.caritas.org
Source: General Prefecture of Apostolate
