On Saturday 31 May, people from across the Diocese attended a joint CAFOD/Caritas Plymouth event to reflect on the Jubilee social action themes. Deborah Fisher (Caritas) talked about the six social action themes of the Jubilee (forgiveness, rest, debt, modern slavery, food poverty and care for creation) and how they impact on our local communites. The meeting discussed how we can take action to address these challenges. You can find more information on our Jubilee webpages.
We also heard (online) from Fr Chilufya, a Kenyan Priest about how the issue of debt is affecting our brothers and sisters globally. Many of the world’s poorest countries have been plunged into a new debt crisis. Despite facing significant poverty burdens, countries are having to make huge repayments on high-interest loans to wealthy banks, institutions and governments, leaving them unable to properly fund essential services. In Africa, 34 countries spend more on external debt payments than on health or education, when hospitals and schools are already desperately underfunded. Debts are being paid at the expense of hiring doctors and teachers, building schools, hospitals and sewage systems, preparing for floods, or coping with droughts. There are actions we can all take to address this injustice: Involve your parish – debt campaign
You can hear a recording of Fr Chilufya here.