Preface

"The Jubilee-year of 1993, and the years which follow, provide an opportunity for decampment, a change in direction and a re-newal. There is a possibility of regaining quality of life. This possibil-ity rests on the freedom of every human being, a respect for the balance that is inbuilt into nature, and on ecology of the societal fellowship, where unjust rifts between human beings are bridged. Together with a decampment goes a liberation from debts to God for that which is done against the will of God."

After a decade of work on its confession of faith, the Church of Sweden is celebrating a Jubilee-year in 1993. The quotation above from the Bishops' letter about justice and morality in the global eco-nomy, makes it evident that the celebration of the Jubilee-year does not mean that the sufferings of humankind in general or of individuals in parti-cu-lar are neglected. Central to the Christian faith is the forgive-ness of debts. If so, the Jubilee-year will be a year of liberation.

The Christian faith by necessity has consequences. By means of this letter the Bishops of the Church of Sweden want to direct the attention of all to a question that is central for the future. At the same time as we find ourselves, within Swedish society, in a crisis of debts, there is a wider, global crisis of debt on which we have to take a stand.

Bishop Biörn Fjärstedt has been responsible for preparing this letter. Some material for the bishops' work on the debt crisis has been provided by Björn Ryman and a working group from the Church of Sweden Aid – Lutherhjälpen. The Bishops' letter was adopted when the bishops met in Gothenburg on May 5, 1993.

For the Bishops' Conference

Gunnar Weman

Archbishop