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.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")
