NEWS STORY: Vatican Criticizes U.S., Europe on Debt Relief

c. 2000 Religion News Service VATICAN CITY _ A high Vatican official sharply criticized the United States and the European Union on Thursday (April 27) for failing to meet their commitments to reduce the debt of the world’s poorest countries. Bishop Diarmuid Martin, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, also warned that […]

c. 2000 Religion News Service

VATICAN CITY _ A high Vatican official sharply criticized the United States and the European Union on Thursday (April 27) for failing to meet their commitments to reduce the debt of the world’s poorest countries.

Bishop Diarmuid Martin, secretary of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, also warned that the recent demonstrations in Seattle, Wash., and Washington, D.C., are a sign of ordinary citizens’ fear of the effects of unregulated globalization.


Pope John Paul II has called repeatedly for debt reduction. He met in September with pop stars and other celebrities promoting the Jubilee 2000 “Drop the Debt” campaign and has made debt relief and full employment themes of a May Day celebration on Monday (May 1) for some 200,000 workers.

The issue has galvanized a broad spectrum of Catholic, Protestant and Jewish religious groups. Thousands came to Washington on April 9 to rally on the National Mall for the Jubilee 2000 debt relief campaign.

“Debt reduction is proceeding too slowly,” Martin said. “Of the $100 billion that the G7 decided to remit at its meeting in Cologne, only $11 billion has been remitted.”

The bishop said excessive bureaucracy, complicated procedures and failure of some developing countries to institute economic reforms were partly at fault, but he placed most of the blame on political decisions in Washington and Brussels.

“The funds allocated by the United States have been blocked by Congress, and the U.E. is refusing to put up its funds if the Americans do not assume their own responsibility,” he said.

Voicing a renewed “appeal that the rich countries finance at least the commitments they have already assumed,” Martin gave strong backing to the decision of the World Bank and IMF to form a task force to speed up debt reduction.

Martin urged application of agreements and commitments already made, guarantees that funds will be placed at the disposition of the World Bank and IMF, speedy cancellation of 100 percent of the debt of countries that introduce “true reform” and streamlining of mechanisms involved.


Martin said it is important that both “rich and poor countries assume their own responsibilities.” For developing countries, he said, this means not “buying costly airplanes for their president as happened in Uganda.”

The violent demonstrations during the recent World Trade Organization meeting in Seattle and this month’s IMF meeting in Washington “are symptoms of an unease in public opinion toward the present management of the international system,” he said.

While condemning “every form of violence,” Martin said the demonstrations should alert leaders to the risks of allowing “globalization that is unregulated and not accompanied by solidarity.”

Martin spoke at a news conference called to announce publication of “The Social Agenda _ A Collection of Magisterial Texts,” which contains authoritative Vatican pronouncements on social issues over the last century. Martin also announced the opening on Sunday (April 30) of a conference of leading bankers and economists on the potential risks and benefits of globalization. Among those attending will be Michel Camdessus, former director of the International Monetary Fund.

Martin said the council also plans to issue a “social catechism” before the end of the current Jubilee Holy Year. The catechism, requested by U.S. and European bishops, will be a standard text for teaching the position of the Roman Catholic Church on social issues.

KRE END POLK

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