Rooted in a tradition dating back to Pope Boniface VIII’s declaration of the first Holy Year in 1300, the term Jubilee denotes a special year in the Catholic Church dedicated to grace, renewal, forgiveness, cancellation of debts, and freedom for all peoples. It is a time for pilgrimage, reflection, deepened engagement and commitment to the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching and the themes of Liberation Theology.
The theme of the 2025 Jubilee, “Pilgrims of Hope” gives voice to all those en voyage, including those who yearn for a future defined by climate justice, liberation, and universal solidarity. Jubilees have evolved to reflect the Church's mission in modern times. In 2025, the Jubilee is a historic opportunity for frontline leaders to engage the Church more deeply, urging action on Global Climate Reparations.
During his papacy, Pope Francis has positioned the Church as a powerful moral voice for debt cancellation and ecological restoration. This Jubilee presents a rare moment for deep engagement with Catholic leadership, calling for action on Global Climate Reparations now.
In the spirit of love, liberation and justice, the climate frontlines are inviting the Church to remember its promises to the Earth and her people. We ground in this historic moment and call for:
1. Debt Abolition & Reparative Climate Justice Investments – Canceling unjust financial burdens and ensuring resources flow to those most historically-burdened by legacies of extraction & the climate crisis by tithing 10% to the Global Climate Reparations Fund.
3. Climate Migration As A Human Right – Asserting the right, dignity, and safety of climate migrants in the traditions of Catholic Social Teaching and Liberation Theology, recognizing migration as both a sacred and historical act of survival.
2. Land Stewardship & Care for Creation – Centering Indigenous and frontline leadership in ecological restoration by returning land to its rightful stewards, recognizing that those who have cared for the earth for generations hold the knowledge and sovereignty to heal it.
4. The Church As A Moral Voice — Disavowing oppressive systems of governance that perpetuate oppression, inequality, and ecological destruction and championing just, generative systems of governance that prioritize collective well-being, economic justice, and human dignity.
The 2025 Jubilee Convening took place in Rome, Italy from March 1-8. The Convening was an integral part of Taproot Earth's 2025 campaign on Global Climate Reparations — a year-long effort of advancing urgent demands from the climate frontlines for bold action on both climate migration and climate finance. This work continues the foundation laid at the 2024 GCR Governance Assembly in Kenya, where frontline leaders developed a working statement around Global Climate Reparations and a global strategy for action.
This is the first of three flagship convenings Taproot Earth will host this year, in partnership with trusted partners and many movement allies. In August, as the world commemorates the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina — one of the largest climate displacement events in U.S. history — climate migration will take center stage in the Gulf South and New Orleans. Then, in November in Belem, Brazil, the focus will shift to climate finance justice, as Global South nations push for debt cancellation and reparative investments at UNFCCC (COP 30).
Grounded in the framework of Acknowledgement, Atonement, and Repair, we began our journey by engaging the Church in a call for invitational liberation. While in Rome, we committed to:
1. Acknowledge – Through frontline truth-telling sessions, we named the Church’s role in colonialism, extractivism, and anti-Blackness while also recognizing its traditions of liberation and solidarity.
4. Honor and Lead with Ritual – Recognizing that transformation begins with spiritual readiness, we engaged in acts of ritual to prepare ourselves to advance global climate reparations in this sacred Jubilee year.
2. Atone – Through spiritual practices of humility and making amends, we collectively called for liberation, reconnecting our humanity to each other and to creation.
5. Connect – Building relationships across culture, spirituality, and borders, we joined with community leaders and organizations advancing justice and liberation. Connection is essential to moving toward acts of repair.
3. Repair – We took up Pope Francis’ call for debt abolition, resource mobilization, migrant justice, and ecological land justice, identifying tangible actions of love and liberation to make these calls a reality.
You don’t have to be of the faith to share in the joy and liberation of this global moment! 🌍✨ Whether you're marching in solidarity or sending love from home, you can be part of something powerful. Join the #ShareYourJubilee convo on social media and tag us at #TaprootEarth and #GlobalClimateReparations — let’s spread this wave of liberation across the globe!
The frontlines are defining the terms of their liberation — crafting concrete strategies for real repair and tangible restoration. A better world is already being built, with those on the frontlines of the climate crisis reimagining new systems of power rooted in accountability, justice and collective healing. Seed the movement now.
