Church leaders ask G20 to debt relief - a call for hope!

Church leaders ask G20 to debt relief - a call for hope!

More than 120 leading church representatives from all over the world have urged the G20 countries to take determined measures against the global debt crisis. In an open letter, which was published during the current conference of the 20 most important industrialized and emerging countries in Cape Town, it is pointed out to the alarming situation that the debt crisis considerably hinders poverty control and effort against climate change. The appeal, which was initiated by the World Caritas Association Caritas Internalis , calls for a "fair and functioning global debt system". It is emphasized that in many countries the payments for debts exceed expenditure on essential areas such as health and education.

Particularly worrying is the fact that the rescheduling procedures in the G20 frame take far too long and private creditors often delay negotiations. This means that millions of people in affected countries have to suffer from hunger, poor access to basic services and the devastating consequences of climate change. Pope Francis encourages the believers to be "pilgrims of hope" and actively act against the debt crisis. The Vatican Foreign Minister, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, also called for a debt relief for countries that spend more for the repayments than for basic things such as health and education, and described this step as a question of "justice and generosity".

demands from Germany and solutions for the future

In Germany, Archbishop Nikola Eterovic, the Pope's ambassador, confirmed the demands for a debt decree for developing countries in order to cope with the challenges of climate change. According to Eterovic, Pope Francis' proposal could help these countries to cushion the fatal consequences. The nuncio also emphasized the importance of a world fund to combat hunger and for the establishment of financial resources from the armaments' budget in order to act sustainably against the global hunger crisis. With over 733 million starving people worldwide, the urgency of these concerns is unbroken. The demands for a global ostracism of the death penalty and the recognition of ecological debts support the more comprehensive vision of the Catholic Church for a fairer world, as explained in the reports.