Clerics from various faiths on Wednesday, January 1, 2025 united in prayer, emphasizing the urgent need to address the major challenges devastating the world. The New Times visited different churches to capture messages from religious leaders on key considerations for the New Year. Call for a global fund to end hunger Cardinal Antoine Kambanda, the Archbishop of Kigali, endorsed Pope Francis’ call to establish a global fund to eradicate hunger. Preaching during the New Year’s Mass at Saint Michel Church, he emphasized the need for collective action. “In this time marked by wars, let us use at least a fixed percentage of the money earmarked for armaments to establish a global fund to eradicate hunger and facilitate educational activities in poorer countries. These initiatives should promote sustainable development and combat climate change,” he said. ALSO READ: Rwanda targets zero hunger in the next six years Global hunger and food insecurity have worsened since 2015. According to the latest State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World (SOFI) report, around 733 million people faced hunger in 2023, equating to one in eleven globally and one in five in Africa. Fighting climate change Clerics noted that hunger is being exacerbated by climate change. Nations aim to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius to mitigate its effects, but funding for developing countries remains insufficient. At the 29th United Nations Climate Summit (COP29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, developing countries rejected a $300 billion global climate finance deal, expressing disappointment over the lack of commitment from developed nations. Developing countries had requested $1.3 trillion in climate finance. ALSO READ: COP29 falls short of $1.3tn climate finance demanded by developing countries Cardinal Kambanda highlighted Rwanda’s peace and security in 2024 and called for continued prayers to maintain progress in 2025. January 1 marks the World Day of Peace. “Today is a day to call for peace worldwide. Let us thank God for protecting our nation in 2024. However, we appeal for peace in regions torn by war. Rwanda’s experience with the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi gives us deep empathy for those suffering due to conflicts. We need transformative efforts to build global peace,” he said. Pope Francis echoed the same sentiment: “Peace does not only come with the end of wars but with the dawn of a new world, one where we realize we are closer and more fraternal than we ever thought possible.” Addressing the debt crisis for poor countries Pope Francis also called for international action to address the debt crisis facing poorer nations. “Foreign debt has become a means of control, where richer countries exploit the resources of poorer nations to satisfy their markets. This must change,” he said. He urged wealthier nations to recognise their “ecological debt” and take steps to forgive or substantially reduce the international debt burden threatening many nations’ futures. Praying for an end to pandemics Justin Gatanazi, a cleric from ADEPR Remera, urged Christians to pray for an end to pandemics. “A lot happened in 2024. No one expected the Marburg outbreak. We pray for the end of such outbreaks in Rwanda and globally,” he said. Rwanda declared the Marburg Virus Disease outbreak over on December 20, 2024, after it claimed 15 lives out of 66 cases. However, the epidemiological situation of Mpox in neighboring countries remains concerning. Marie Chantal Umutoni, a believer from ADEPR Remera, reflected: “We thank God for saving us in 2024. We prayed in large numbers on New Year’s Eve, something we couldn’t do during the Covid-19 pandemic. We have many hopes for 2025.” Francois Sendegeya, a Christian from the Anglican Church in Kigali, said: In 2024 we heard about cases of people killing others including Genocide survivors who were targeted. Addressing such an issue is part of ensuring peace for Rwandans. We need to pray and convert those who still have such cruel hearts in the new year. Tackling rising divorce cases Bishop Nathan Rusengo Amooti of the Anglican Diocese of Kigali called for prayers to strengthen families. “The family is the foundation of the nation. Strong families build a strong nation,” he said. Family breakdown is a growing global concern, driven by social and economic distress, gender-based violence, and other forms of abuse. These issues often lead to divorce and separation, with profound effects on children.
