Pope Francis’ call for debt cancellation in the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope has inspired similar action among Catholic bishops and advocacy groups in East Africa. Source: The Tablet.
The Jubilee 2025 Debt Cancellation Campaign launched in Nairobi on February 12 to target Africa’s debt crisis, now standing at over $US1 trillion ($1.58 trillion), which threatens to cripple many countries in the continent.
Bishop Charles Kasonde of Solwezi, in Zambia, who chairs the Association of Member Episcopal Conferences in Eastern Africa (AMECEA), told the launch that the debt forgiveness went beyond “economic calculus” and was a profound moral responsibility.
“When debt burdens entrench poverty, amplify inequality and stifle economic growth, we are compelled to act – especially as we approach the Jubilee Year themed ‘Pilgrims of hope’,” Bishop Kasonde said.
“This moment in time challenges us to reshape our financial systems, prioritising human dignity over corporate profits and the dominance of lender nations.”
The campaign is led by the Jubilee 2025 Africa Coalition, which has united to demand cancellations of the debts, which churches and advocacy groups across the continent view as illegitimate.
The coalition is also calling for reforms in the global financial architecture and accountability from both leaders and borrowers.
Catholic groups, including AMECEA, the Symposium of Episcopal Conference in Africa and Madagascar, Jesuits Justice and Ecology Network in Africa, Caritas Africa and the Jesuit Hakimani Centre, a social justice and peacebuilding institute based in Nairobi, were part of the launch.
Campaigners reported that many countries in Africa use more than 50 per cent of their annual revenue to service debt, severely limiting the countries’ ability to invest and eating away funds for critical sectors such as education and health.
The campaign recalled the efforts of the Catholic Church and global advocacy movements in past decades for debt relief to support resilient economies and sustainable development.
The Jubilee 2000 campaign led to the cancellation of over $US100 billion of debt for some of the most indebted countries.
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African campaigners launch 2025 Jubilee debt cancellation campaign (By Fredrick Nzwili, The Tablet)
