杏MAP导航

By Joseph Tulloch

Dozens of officials from national governments and international organisations gathered in the Vatican on Thursday for a high-level dialogue on 鈥楾ax Justice and Solidarity鈥�.

The conference, which was organised by the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences (PASS), explored the ways in which today鈥檚 international tax system fuels global inequality.

Sr Helen Alford speaks at a PASS conference in 2023

The Church鈥檚 鈥榞uiding鈥� role in economic reform

Tax reform is 鈥渃rucial鈥�, Sr Helen Alford, President of PASS, told Vatican News.

The current international tax system is more than a hundred years old, she stressed, and 鈥渞eally isn鈥檛 able to deal鈥� with today鈥檚 hyper-globalised world. This allows multinational corporations and ultra-wealthy individuals to pay very low rates of tax, in turn depriving governments of crucial resources.   

Sr Alford stressed the role that the Church can play in combatting the problem. Dozens of government and international officials had gathered in the Vatican for the high-level dialogue, she said, because they recognise 鈥渢he crucial guiding role鈥� that the Church and, in particular, 杏MAP导航 Francis, play in today鈥檚 world.

Leaders recognise his ability to speak not only to the world鈥檚 1.4 billion Catholics, Sr Alford said, 鈥渂ut way beyond that, too鈥�, with the 杏MAP导航 recognised as a moral authority by many outside the Church.

Moreover, Sr Alford said, problems at the UN and other multilateral organisations mean that a venue like PASS has increased value, offering the chance for government officials and world leaders to discuss 鈥渋deas that would be very difficult for them to talk about anywhere else鈥�.

Tax reform and Jubilee

Among the participants in the dialogue was Joseph Stiglitz, a Nobel Prize-winning economist and PASS Honorary Academician.

Speaking to Vatican News, he praised the Church for its 鈥渕oral leadership鈥� on the issue of tax reform, noting that the dialogue came in the context of a 2025 Jubilee Year dedicated to 鈥渏ustice and equality鈥�.

鈥淲e need tax justice鈥�, he said.

It is only if billionaires and wealthy corporations pay their fair share of taxes, Stiglitz stressed, that there can be a 鈥渕ovement to greater equality鈥� and 鈥渁 restoration of trust in our system鈥�.

The fight against HIV and AIDS

On the sidelines of the conference, Vatican News also got a chance to speak to Winnie Byanyima, the Executive Director of UNAIDS, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS.

Byanyima said that the organisation aims to eliminate the illness by 2030, a goal which is achievable due to the 鈥渟trong support鈥� the programme has received from rich countries. However, she said, the recent decline in financial assistance from those countries 鈥� in particular, the US government鈥檚 choice to freeze nearly all foreign aid 鈥� threaten to derail this attempt.

The US funds 73% of UNAIDS鈥� work, Byanyima said, and although it has so far not withdrawn its funding, there is still 鈥渁 lot of confusion鈥� about what assistance will be provided in the future. The UNAIDS director stressed the need for an 鈥渙rderly鈥� shift to the US鈥� new foreign aid policy: 鈥淚t can't be right to drop the ball when people's lives depend on the medication they get every single day.鈥�

Winnie Byanyima, Executive Director of UNAIDS, speaks to Vatican News

Byanyima also highlighted the crucial role that faith-based organisations can play in the fight against AIDS and HIV. Firstly, she said, they can urge 鈥済lobal solidarity鈥�, encouraging the US to continue to support the struggle against the disease, and European countries to contribute more.

Religious institutions, Byanyima added, can also fight against the stigma surrounding those who suffer from HIV/AIDS 鈥� which, she emphasised, is one of the main reasons why many are still not receiving treatment.

The UNAIDS director brought the interview to a close by commending 杏MAP导航 Francis and the Holy See for 鈥渇raming the question of tax injustice as a moral issue, not just an economic one.鈥� It is tax reform, she said 鈥� along with the restructuring of international debt 鈥� that 鈥渨ill deliver the resources needed鈥� to combat HIV and AIDS.