Remarks by Fr. Charles Chilufya, S.J. at the IMF & World Bank Spring Meetings – April 22, 2025

Dear friends,

As global leaders gather in Washington this week for the IMF and World Bank Spring Meetings, yesterday I had the opportunity to deliver a reflection on one of the defining moral issues of our time: debt justice.

My address—“Jubilee, Justice, and the Legacy of Pope Francis: A Call to Action on Debt”—was offered in memory of Pope Francis, a tireless advocate for the poor and prophet of justice. His legacy urges us not to remain silent in the face of structural injustice, but to act boldly to transform systems that harm the vulnerable.

“It is not right to demand the payment of debt when it means denying people the essentials of life.”
– Pope Francis

Today, more than half of African countries are in or nearing debt distress. The burden of debt has become a silent killer—diverting resources from hospitals, schools, and essential public services to foreign creditors. This is not only unsustainable—it is morally indefensible.

As we approach Jubilee 2025, we are called not to symbolic celebration, but to radical conversion—to truth-telling, justice, and solidarity with those whose dignity is being crushed by unjust economic structures.

Read the full speech here:
Jubilee, Justice, and the Legacy of Pope Francis – Full Remarks

🙏 Let us continue to raise our voices until justice rolls down like a mighty river.With gratitude,
Fr. Charles Chilufya, S.J.