PAPAL MESSAGE TO VATICAN SEMINAR ON DEBT REDUCTION

VATICAN CITY, DEC 4, 2000 (VIS) - Made public today was a Message from Pope John Paul to Archbishop Francois Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan, president of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, and to the participants in the seminar organized by the council on the theme "From Debt Relief to Poverty Reduction." The seminar began yesterday and ends December 6.

The Pope expressed his gratitude to the council, which "has been in the forefront in addressing the question of the effects of the heavy burden of debt on the lives of the peoples of the poorest countries," and "to all those who were sensitive to my appeals" for the reduction of debt of the poorest countries or its outright cancellation.

Stating that "we are only stewards of the riches of creation," the Holy Father wrote: "Our increasingly globalized world requires a corresponding increase of solidarity. Debt relief is part of a broader effort to achieve changed relationships between peoples and to establish a true sense of solidarity and sharing among all the Children of God, among all people. Despite great scientific progress, the scandal of severe poverty remains extremely widespread in our world."

He asked the council "to continue to work closely with all those in the scientific and development communities, as well as with international organizations, who are striving to ensure that the spirit of cooperation, which has been generated by the Jubilee experience, will continue to develop in the future. ... Debt relief initiatives launched by the wealthier nations and the international institutions should come rapidly to full fruition."

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