What happens when economic systems pause? Rather than focusing on financial indicators or GDP figures, this question probes the deeper purpose of economic activity: its ethical direction and human impact. The biblical concept of the Jubilee offers a framework for reflection—a time when debts are forgiven, land is allowed to lie fallow, and people are released from servitude. It challenges the notion that endless growth is the ultimate goal, suggesting instead that economies should serve people and the planet.
This idea underpins “Restarting the Economy,” a global gathering organized by The Economy of Francesco, set for November 28–30, 2025, in Castel Gandolfo. The initiative, launched in 2019 at the invitation of Pope Francis, brings together young economists, entrepreneurs, and innovators from around the world committed to building a more just, inclusive, and sustainable economic model rooted in local realities.
Rather than a conventional conference, the event functions as a collaborative laboratory focused on dialogue, listening, and creative thinking. Participants will engage with three guiding themes: rest, liberation, and restoration. These concepts encourage rethinking labor, ownership, and environmental stewardship.
In the lead-up to the gathering, contributors from The Economy of Francesco network will publish reflections on Vatican News, exploring questions such as: Can work be liberated from exploitation? Is debt forgiveness feasible in modern economies? Does the natural world have a right to recuperate?
Each contribution offers a unique perspective, yet all share a common belief: ancient practices like the Jubilee can provide moral and practical guidance in addressing today’s crises. From ecological degradation to worker dignity and financial exclusion, these writings serve as exercises in economic discernment.
While there may be no single perfect economic system, certain actions can steer existing structures toward greater fairness. The Jubilee reminds us that pausing is not unproductive—it can be the first step toward intentional change. True progress lies not in constant expansion, but in creating systems that endure, share resources, and allow space for healing.
— news from Vatican News
— News Original —
Restarting the Economy: Rethinking Economics in the Light of the Jubilee
By Luca Iacovone n nWhat happens when the economy stops? We’re not talking about stock indexes or macroeconomic data, but about the deeper orientation of our economic systems: the meaning we assign to them, the direction they take us. n nStopping can seem uneconomic. And yet, the biblical Jubilee tells us just that: a time when mechanisms of ownership are interrupted, debts are forgiven, the land rests, and the enslaved are set free. A time that overturns usual logic to remind us that the economy is a tool, not a goal. n nWhat if that ancient Jubilee holds traces of another possible economy? One that acknowledges limits, that doesn’t consume time or people, that makes room again for care and relationships. n nAn economy that slows down to care for the Earth, that frees labor from exhaustion, that sees debt not as punishment but as a wound to be healed. An economy that rediscovers the value of enough—not only measured in growth, but in the capacity to endure, to share, to let go. n nThis is the vision behind Restarting the Economy, the global gathering promoted by The Economy of Francesco, taking place in Castel Gandolfo from November 28 to 30, 2025. n nThe Economy of Francesco is an international network of young economists, entrepreneurs, and changemakers, launched in 2019 at the invitation of Pope Francis. It brings together people from every continent who are committed to building a more just, inclusive, and sustainable economy—starting from real, local experience. n nThis won’t be a traditional conference, but an international laboratory of listening, dialogue, and imagination. A place where young people from diverse backgrounds will journey together around three key words: rest, liberation, restoration. This collective reflection is rooted in a living community that doesn’t only share ideas but tests them daily by building new economic models in their own contexts. n nIn the days leading up to the gathering, several voices from The Economy of Francesco community will accompany this journey with a series of short editorials published on Vatican News. Each one will seek to bring the present into conversation with the spirit of the Jubilee, starting from some pressing questions: What does it mean today to liberate work? Is it still possible to forgive debt? Does the Earth have a right to rest? n nEach voice will offer a different perspective, but they all spring from the same intuition: that the Jubilee, with its ancient gestures, can offer new coordinates for navigating today’s crises. From ecological justice to the dignity of labor, from debt relief to the spirituality of limits, each editorial will be a small exercise in economic discernment. n nThere may not be one perfect economy, but there are gestures that can help orient it toward justice. And in the end, this is what the Jubilee reminds us: that stopping is not a waste of time—it’s the beginning of a choice.