So each 50 years, the poor and the oppressed were to receive a fresh start. And in forgiving debts, creditors would demonstrate that all "property" ultimately belongs to God.

On the threshold of the new millennium, we're applying this tradition to modern times. In Tertio Millennio Adveniente, the Holy Father writes that "Christians will have to raise their voice on behalf of all the poor of the world, proposing the Jubilee as an appropriate time to give thought, among other things, to reducing substantially, if not canceling outright, the international debt which seriously threatens the future of many nations."

Second, I'd like to reflect on the debt crisis in light of Catholic social teaching, because the notion of debt forgiveness is not always popular. Some people believe anyone owed money has a legitimate right to collect it. This is true. In fact, Catholic teaching includes the presumption that lawful debts must be paid.

But the right to collect debts can be overshadowed by more compelling moral concerns. Any governmental policy or program — including a policy to collect debt — must be measured by whether it enhances or diminishes human dignity. That's because every person is created in the image of God, and every person has basic human rights.

This brings me to my third point. In many countries today, the interest payments on international loans are draining the necessary resources to provide people with their most basic rights. In Ethiopia, for example, four times more money is spent each year on debt service than on health care. Meanwhile, 100,000 children die annually from diseases that would easily be prevented here in the United States.

How could this occur? Ask anyone with a hefty personal credit card bill. Interest payments can grow so burdensome that the principal of the debt is never reduced. Similarly, homeowners often refinance to allow themselves to pay off education bills or other expenses. They may succeed in spreading payments over more time — but the loans remain, and the interest grows.

Developing countries accrue debt in much the same way, borrowing from wealthier nations or international financial institutions. The victims of the endless debt service usually have nothing to do with the debt itself. But in order to make payments, desperate governments resort to denying their populations adequate infrastructures or basic health care. The result of a corrupt or inefficient government can be generations of sick or malnourished children.

Can anything be done? We celebrate the Great Jubilee in the name of Jesus Christ, in whom all things are possible. With that in mind, I urge your support and prayers for a bill currently before the U.S. House of Representatives, the "Debt Relief for Poverty Reduction Act of 1999." It would provide deeper debt relief for needy countries. It would also target future debt relief by depositing savings from reduced debt service in a Human Development Fund.

When we view our own resources as gifts from God — rather than personal or national entitlements — it's easy to care for our Third World brothers and sisters. The Catholic principle of solidarity reminds us that we are each other's keepers, and we should work for policies that promote justice worldwide.

One final point: This notion of debt forgiveness is not confined to international economics. It also applies to our own communities, and more importantly, to our personal lives. Many of you have heard that the Archdiocese of Denver is releasing some of our struggling parishes from the debt they owe the archdiocese. I can't credibly ask others to do what we do not model ourselves: That is the reason for this debt relief.

But I want to encourage each of you to consider forgiving another type of debt: spiritual debt. The notions of debt forgiveness and reconciliation are closely tied, and both are key in the Jubilee preparation period. Therefore, seek out those toward whom you harbor anger or bitterness. Through the grace of God, free them — and yourself — from the bonds of resentment.

Debt forgiveness and personal forgiveness are, at their core, the same. Each is making things new again. Each is about seeing the face of God in one another. And ultimately, each is about encountering the peace that only He can give.