Pope Francis has advocated for debt forgiveness for underprivileged countries, urging wealthy nations to help troubled countries recover and develop.
The Catholic Archbishop of Lagos, Most Rev. Alfred Martins, emphasised mercy, hope, and forgiveness as key principles for a more peaceful and equitable world during his 2025 World Day of Peace message at the Holy Cross Catholic Cathedral in Lagos, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria.
Quoting the Pope, Martins said, “God does not weigh up the evils we commit; rather, He is immensely rich in mercy, for the great love with which He loved us (Eph 2:4).
“That yet He also hears the plea of the poor and the cry of the earth.
“What the world will do is simply to stop for a moment at the beginning of 2025 to think of the mercy with which He constantly forgives our sins and forgives our every debt so that our hearts may overflow with hope and peace.”
The leader of the Vatican added that “in teaching us to pray the ‘Our Father, Jesus started by asking the Father to forgive our trespasses but immediately moved to the challenging words, ‘as we forgive those who trespass against us’” (cf. Mt 6:12).
“Jesus teaches us to ask for forgiveness of our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. To extend hope and forgiveness to others, we must first experience God’s mercy,” the Pope noted.
The Pope also offered three solutions to restore dignity, rebuild hope, and address the global debt crisis.
He reiterated an appeal first made by Saint John Paul II during the Jubilee Year 2000, advocating for the substantial reduction or outright cancellation of international debts that hinder the progress of many nations.
He urged affluent countries to forgive the debts of nations incapable of repayment and called for establishing a new financial framework rooted in global solidarity and harmony.
He echoed a plea made by Saint John Paul II during the Jubilee Year 2000, urging for significant reductions or complete cancellation of international debts that impede many nations’ advancement.
He pushed wealthy countries to forgive debts owed by nations unable to repay them, and he advocated for the establishment of a new financial structure based on international solidarity and harmony.
He said, “At the beginning of this Year of Grace, I would like to offer three proposals capable of restoring dignity to lives and enabling people to set out anew on the journey of hope.
“In this way, the debt crisis can be overcome, and all of us can once more realise that we are debtors whose debts have been forgiven.”
Pope Francis’ message aligns with the 2025 World Day of Peace theme, “Forgive Us Our Trespasses, Grant Us Your Peace,” and launches the Jubilee 2025 celebrations, anticipated to attract millions of pilgrims to Rome.
