Page 6 - Testify 15 Oct 2020

6 15 - 30 October 2020

Christian leaders urge IMF and World Bank to cancel

debts for developing countries

By Tom Allen

Christian leaders urge IMF and World millions of our sisters and brothers that ‘Grave risk without debt cancellation’
Bank to cancel debts for developing are needlessly pushed into poverty by
countries the pandemic.” The faith leaders write that each has
“borne witness to the impact the coro-
More than 140 senior Church leaders Signatories to the letter include: navirus pandemic has had on the most
from around the world have signed a vulnerable members of our communities
letter, urging the International Monetary • Cardinal Berhaneyesus D. Soura- through illness, death, hunger, and loss
Fund (IMF) and World Bank to cancel phiel (Archbishop of Addis Ababa) of livelihoods”.
debts for developing countries fighting •
the coronavirus pandemic. • Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besun- The letter goes on to acknowledge the
gu (Archbishop of Kinshasa) emergency finance initiatives imple-
The letter, signed by cardinals, arch- • mented by the Washington-based insti-
bishops and heads of religious congre- • Cardinal Patrick D’Rozario (Arch- tutions earlier during the pandemic, but
gations from different Christian denomi- bishop Emeritus of Dhaka) warns such programmes “are insuffi-
nations, was sent to the World Bank and • cient and do not respond to the urgency
IMF ahead of the annual meetings on • Sister Alessandra Smerilli (Coordi- and magnitude of the crisis”.
16-18 October 2020. nator of the Economy Taskforce of
the Vatican Commission for Cov- “Without the cancellation of debts, there
The institutions are expected to discuss id-19) remains a grave risk that developing Pope Francis
debt relief for poor nations at the meet- • countries will not have the money so
ing as part of planning for the global eco- • Prof Isabel Apawo Phiri (Deputy desperately and urgently needed to halt
nomic recovery. General Secretary, World Council the spread of the virus, to treat people nomic crises” faced by vulnerable coun-
of Churches) suffering from the virus, and to mitigate tries as a result of the coronavirus.
IMF and World Bank have been urged • and recover from the economic and so-
to show ‘courageous leadership’ on debt • Bishop Josiah Idowu-Fearon (Sec- cial destruction threatened by the virus,” The Pope reiterated his call for relief
relief. retary-General of the Anglican the letter said. earlier this month in an encyclical, warn-
In the letter, the Church leaders encour- Communion) ing that the world must work together to
age the institutions to show “courageous • The senior Christian figures cite a call rebuild following the pandemic.
leadership” and argue that debt can- • Rev. Fidon Mwombeki (General from Pope Francis for debts to be can-
cellation “is the most immediate way to Secretary of the All Africa Confer- celled, “in recognition of the severe Continued from page 11
release the finance required to prevent ence of Churches). impacts of the medical, social and eco-

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