Pope Francis on Dec. 12 called for the worldwide abolition of the death penalty, the alleviation of foreign debt and the creation of a new global fund to eradicate hunger and combat climate change.

Pope Francis called on Thursday for new international agreements to reduce the debt burden faced by low-income countries and shift spending from arms and military equipment to the eradication of global hunger.

Pope Francis called for debt relief for the poor countries of the South of the globe and the universal abolition of the death penalty in his message for World Peace Day 2025, which takes place on January 1.