CATHOLIC CHURCH LAUNCHES JUBILEE 2025 CAMPAIGN TO ADDRESS AFRICA ’s DEBT CRISIS AND ADVOCATE FOR GLOBAL FINANCIAL REFORM.

BY NJOKI KARANJA. 

The Catholic Church today officially launched the Jubilee 2025 Africa Campaign, a global initiative aimed at addressing Africa's mounting debt crisis and advocating for debt relief, particularly for some of the continent's most economically vulnerable nations, including Uganda, Mozambique, and Tanzania. The campaign builds on the legacy of the Jubilee 2000 movement, which successfully secured over $100 billion in debt cancellations, allowing countries to invest in crucial sectors like health, education, and infrastructure.

At the heart of the Jubilee 2025 campaign is a call for the cancellation of unjust debt, which the Catholic Church argues is a moral issue, not just an economic one. "Debt is not just an economic issue; it is a moral one," said Fr. Charles Chilufya, S.J., Director of the Jesuit Justice and Ecology Network Africa (JENA). “The burden of unjust debt undermines development and traps nations in cycles of poverty. Our vision is to see an Africa liberated from the constraints of these unjust debts, thriving within a fair global financial system.”

Africa is currently facing a severe debt crisis, with over 22 countries either in debt distress or at high risk. The COVID-19 pandemic and global economic shocks have exacerbated the situation, leaving many nations struggling to meet basic needs and stalling development. Jubilee 2025 aims to unite faith-based organizations, civil society, and governments to push for debt cancellation and global financial reform that will ensure fairness and accountability within the international financial system.

Inspired by Pope Francis’s vision for a Jubilee Year as a time of renewal and hope, the campaign's theme, “Pilgrims of Hope,” calls for a collective global effort to support Africa’s economic liberation. Bishop Charles Sampa Kasonde, Chairman of AMECEA, emphasized the campaign’s potential to drive transformative change: "When communities, civil society, and governments unite, transformative change is possible."

The launch event included a media workshop bringing together journalists from leading media outlets to equip them with the insights and data needed to advocate for a just and sustainable solution to Africa’s debt crisis. The Catholic Church, in collaboration with Caritas Africa and the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM), aims to amplify the ethical and moral dimensions of debt, rallying global action to secure a fairer financial system that benefits the most vulnerable communities.

As part of the campaign, the Church will continue to advocate for reforms that prioritize human dignity, economic justice, and the protection of the poor. “The power of global solidarity was proven during Jubilee 2000,” said Fr. Kayanda S.J., Director of the Jesuit Hakimani Center. "Jubilee 2025 seeks to reignite that spirit of hope and action, ensuring that Africa’s debt is no longer an obstacle to its future.