Pope Francis Message for the 58th World Day of Peace: Forgive Debts, Promote Life, and Redirect Military Spending
As the world stepped into 2025, Pope Francis shared a message for the 58th Day of Peace, calling for a journey of hope, forgiveness, justice, and collective responsibility.
His Holiness started his message by offering peace to everyone, especially those who are weighed down by mistakes from the past and judgement by others and who no longer even have a glimpse of hope.
He noted that the year of 2025 holds special significance as a Jubilee Year in the Catholic tradition. Rooted in an ancient Jewish custom, the Jubilee Year fills hearts with hope and represents a time for renewal, forgiveness, and freedom. The Pope, however, lamented that the world is full of disparities that threaten the existence of humanity, including the inhuman treatment of migrants, social injustices, the environmental crisis, and global conflicts. He called for the establishment of God’s justice and the creation of cultural and structural changes that go beyond isolated acts of charity.
The Pope reminded us that the earth’s resources are gifts from God, intended for everyone, not just a fortunate few. He emphasised the importance of people expressing gratitude to God for his gifts, as a lack of gratitude can lead to a loss of connection with God, allowing exploitation and oppression to govern the relationship between people and nations. This mirrors the injustices faced by the poor during Jesus’s time, when elites were exploiting them. Today, similar injustices still exist, particularly in the way poor countries are trapped by debt.
The Holy Father described the “debt crisis” as a modern form of control, where wealthier countries and private financial institutions exploit the human and natural resources to sustain their own markets. On top of this, less developed countries also bear the cost of what the Pope calls an “ecological debt” when the damage to the environment is mostly caused by the richer countries, but the burdens are borne disproportionately by the poorer ones.
To restore dignity to the life of all people, foster a culture of peace, and address world disparities, Pope Francis offers three proposals:
1. Forgive debts and restore economic justice
The Holy Father has renewed a call originally made by Saint John Paul II to reduce or cancel international debt, adding that this should be viewed as a matter of justice rather than an act of charity. He also proposed a rethinking of global financial systems and called for the creation of a global financial charter based on solidarity and harmony, aiming to prevent the cycle of exploitation of indebted nations.
2. Promote a culture of life
The Pope underscored the importance of valuing every human life, from the moment of conception until natural death. He advocated renewed hope for the future and the elimination of practices that undermine human dignity, such as the death penalty.
3. Redirect military expenditure
Pope Francis called for the redirection of a fixed percentage of military spending and the creation of a global fund to address hunger, improve education, and combat climate change. By doing so, the Pope argues, nations can invest in a future full of hope for younger generations, sowing the seeds of lasting peace.
The Pope’s message emphasised that true peace comes from the hearts “disarmed” of greed, selfishness, fear, and resentment. “Disarming hearts,” noted Pope Francis, “is a job for everyone, great and small, rich and poor alike.” A kind gesture, a listening ear, or a commitment to sustainable living can contribute to progress toward the goal of peace. He went on, saying that peace does not only come with the end of war but also with the dawn of a new world—”a world in which we realise that we are different, closer, and more fraternal than we ever thought possible.”
His Holiness concluded his message with a prayer, expressing his hopes for the Jubilee Year:
Forgive us our trespasses, Lord,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
In this cycle of forgiveness, grant us your peace,
the peace that you alone can give
to those who let themselves be disarmed in heart,
to those who choose in hope to forgive the debts of their brothers and sisters,
to those who are unafraid to confess their debt to you,
and to those who do not close their ears to the cry of the poor.
May 2025 be a year of peace for us all.
