Pope Francis declared 2025 a Jubilee year. In the years preceding 2025 Jubilee USA Network carefully organized for this moment with African and southern partners and international faith groups. We have launched Jubilee campaigns in more than 160 countries for the next five years. Our Jubilee 2025 efforts focus on the G20 in South Africa, the G7 in Canada, COP30 in Brazil and moving legislation in New York, the United Kingdom and Washington DC.
On Christmas Eve 2024 at the Vatican, we joined Pope Francis at St. Peter's as he included our Jubilee interfaith and labor movement calls in his homily. He raised our calls for global debt relief to end poverty, address inequality and heal our planet. On Monday, December 23rd, the Vatican Press Office and Dicastery for Communications hosted Caritas Internationalis and Jubilee USA Network to launch our global campaigns at a press conference in Vatican City off of St. Peter's Square.
This Vatican City Jubilee launch follows more than 6 months of Jubilee interfaith and labor movement launch events that we organized and supported in Brazil, across Africa, Azerbaijan, from San Diego to Chicago to Washington DC and in Rome.
Other Jubilee2025 Selected Launch Event Links:
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In May 2024, you can watch Jubilee's Eric LeCompte deliver a Jubilee 2025 launch as he receives an honorary doctorate from Catholic Theological Union of Chicago and addresses the class of 2024 (Eric's speech starts at 107:22 minutes)
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In June 2024, we joined Pope Francis and finance ministers as Pope Francis delivered the focus of #Jubilee2025 at the Holy See, read: Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Participants in the Meeting “Addressing the Debt Crisis in the Global South
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Kigali, Rwanda in July 2024, major interfaith and inter-religious groups Jubilee Launch: Interfaith Africa Religious Leaders "Heralding a Debt Jubilee in 2025" Statement
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In August 2024, in Brasilia - Brazil with the G20 Interfaith Forum, we had a launch with Reverend David Beckman, Rabbi David Saperstien, Chief Dr. Doliwura Zakaria, H.E. Cardinal Raymundo Damasceno Assis, Elcior Santana and Eric LeCompte: G20 Interfaith Forum: 2024 Imperatives and Interfaith Contributions
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In November at COP29, Azerbaijan: Message of the Holy Father Delivered by the Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin, at the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP29) in Baku
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The Washington DC launch on December 10th, 2024 with H.E. Cardinal Peter Turkson, Rabbi Matt Cutler, Ruth Messenger, Imani Countess, Marie Dennis, AFL-CIO's Laura Gutierrez, Reverend Heriberto Martinez, Reverend Caleb Lines, Sobia Ijaz and Eric LeCompte: Cardinal Turkson Keynote Speech "JUBILEE 2025: SOCIAL DIMENSIONS: The debt/development/environmental crisis." Watch and read Turkson's speech and watch the full event here: Jubilee Interfaith 2025 DC Launch
- On December 23rd, 2024 in Vatican City: Press Conference: The Jubilee 2025 Pilgrimage to Tackle Debt, End Poverty and Heal Our Planet and read H.E. Ronald Lamola, Minister of International Relations and Cooperation of South Africa's Statement
Joint Africa Partner and Jubilee USA Network resources:
African Faith Leaders Petition G7/G20 Finance Ministers
Interfaith Africa Religious Leaders "Heralding a Debt Jubilee in 2025" Statement
Special #Jubilee2025 and Jubilee movement interview at Brazil G20 Interfaith Forum with Jubilee USA's Eric LeCompte: Eric LeCompte G20 Interfaith Forum Interview
Pope Francis, Holy See and Vatican Jubilee 2025 resources:
- Address of His Holiness Pope Francis to the Participants in the Meeting “Addressing the Debt Crisis in the Global South”
- Message of His Holiness Pope Francis for the LVIII World Day of Peace
- Bull of Indiction of the Ordinary Jubilee of the Year 2025
- Vatican-backed Jubilee Commission Report
Events:
- Relay of Hope, May 28, 2025 (Access livestream, prayers and speeches, and pictures here)
- G7 Jubilee People's Forum (June 12-15, 2025)
Further resources on our Jubilee 2025 campaign:
- Read our Jubilee USA Network one-pager
- Read our Jubilee 2025 Facts and Figures
- Read our full letter to President Trump from the US Conference of Catholic Bishops and Jubilee USA Network
- Sign our Jubilee 2025 petition on behalf of an individual
- Sign our Jubilee 2025 petition on behalf of your organization
Selected Press Articles and Media Resources:
- Ahead of 2025 Jubilee, Pope Francis Rallies Global Finance Heads to Back Debt Relief National Catholic Reporter (June 26, 2024)
- Debt Relief: Biblical Jubilee Concern is Focus of Holy Year 2025, Too Catholic News Service, The Arlington Catholic Herald (June 5, 2024)
- Pope Calls for Global Push to Tackle Poor Nations' Debt Crises Reuters (June 5, 2024)
- 10 things to know about Jubilee 2025—the Holy Year that begins on Christmas Eve America Magazine, Catholic News Service (December 10, 2024)
- Pope Francis calls for new global accords on debt, military spending Reuters (December 12, 2024)
- Caritas, Jubilee USA Present Holy Year Debt-Relief Project US Conference of Catholic Bishops, CNS (December 23, 2024)
- Caritas, Jubilee USA present Holy Year debt-relief project, Our Sunday Visitor, Catholic News Service (December 24, 2024)
- On Christmas Eve, Pope Francis appeals for courage to better the world Reuters (December 24, 2024)
- Professor Joseph Stiglitz, Nobel Laureate Vatican News Radio Interview about Jubilee 2025 Opening by Pope Francis Vatican World News (December 24, 2024)
- Pope Opens 2025 Jubilee Dreaming of "New World Where Peace and Justice Reign National Catholic Reporter (December 24, 2024)
- As Pope Francis Opens Jubilee Doors, Francis Announces Support for Work of Church Campaigns in 160 Countries on Debt Cancellation to Address Poverty and Climate Issues Jubilee USA Network (December 24, 2024)
- Jubilee USA Network and Caritas Announce Debt Relief Campaign for Poor Countries Catholic News Agency (December 26, 2024)
- Minister Lamola to Address the Jubilee 2025 Pilgrimage to Tackle Debt, End Poverty and Heal Our Planet Press Conference South Africa Ministry of International Relations & Cooperation (December 23, 2024)
- Pope brings Holy Year and a message of hope to Rome's main prison Associated Press, ABC News (December 26, 2024)
- Vatican & World News 07.03.2025, Vatican Radio (March 7, 2025)
- Pope's appeal for debt relief gains momentum, Vatican News (March 7, 2025)
- Despite pope's hospitalization and Trump's USAID cuts, Jubilee Year push for debt relief continues National Catholic Reporter (March 12, 2025)
- Interfaith community offers alternative conversation on economy during G7 Livewire Calgary (April 9, 2025)
- USCCB committee chairman calls on President Trump to lead the way on international debt relief Catholic Culture (April 9, 2025)
- US bishops ask Trump in joint letter to pursue global debt relief in the Jubilee Year OSV News (April 10, 2025)
- U.S. bishops and Jubilee USA urge Trump to pursue debt relief during 2025 Jubilee Year Catholic News Agency (April 11, 2025)
- Devex Newswire: Jobs, nukes, and jitters at the World Bank Spring Meetings Devex (April 22, 2025)
- Pope Francis Death Update: Seals Placed on Pope's Residence Newsweek (April 22, 2025)
- The global impact of Pope Francis: From migration to taxes to A.I. weapons America Magazine (April 24, 2025)
- Robert Francis Prevost becomes Pope Leo XIV as cardinals elect first US pontiff The Guardian (May 8, 2025)
- Robert Francis Prevost becomes Pope Leo XIV, first American to hold papacy in Catholic Church’s history The Globe and Mail (May 8, 2025)
- 'Floored, stunned and full of hope': Reactions to election of Pope Leo XIV National Catholic Reporter (May 8, 2025)
- Letter: Relieving poor country debt is flagship US cause Financial Times (June 5, 2025)
- Finance experts launch report at Vatican on foreign debt relief Catholic News Service (June 20, 2025)