Amazon Synod: The Church committed to be an ally with Amazonia

Five chapters, plus an introduction and a brief conclusion: the Final Document of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region was released on the evening of 26 October, by the express will of the Pope. The document deals with a wide variety of topics:

1. Mission
2. Inculturation
3. Integral Ecology,
4. Defence of the indigenous peoples
5. An Amazonian rite
6. The Role of Women
7. New Ministries, especially in areas where access to the Eucharist is lacking.

By Vatican News

Conversion is the common thread running through the final document of the Pan-Amazon Synod. The Amazonian region, by area is the most vulnerable in the world on account of climate change caused by human beings, is on “a rampant race to death”. And thus the Document reiterates that a new direction is necessary in order to save it, to avoid a catastrophic impact on the entire planet.

Chapter I – Integral conversion

From the beginning, the document exhorts us to a “true integral conversion”, with a simple and sober life, in the manner of St Francis of Assisi, to be committed to relating harmoniously with the “common home”, the creative work of God. Such conversion will lead the Church to be a Church “on the move”, in order to enter the hearts of all the Amazonian peoples.

The suffering of Amazonia: the cry of the land and the cry of the poor

The text does not ignore the many sorrows and the great violence that today wound and deform Amazonia, threatening its life: the privatisation of natural goods; predatory models of production; deforestation which has affected 17% of the whole region; pollution from the extractive industries; climate change; drug trafficking; alcoholism; trafficking; the criminalization of leaders and defenders of the territory; illegal armed groups. On a broader basis there is the bitter story of migration in the Amazon on various levels: the traditional mobility of indigenous groups in their territories; forced displacement of indigenous populations; international migration and refugees. The synodal Document invites us to be attentive also to the forced displacement of indigenous families in urban centres, emphasising that this phenomenon demands a “joint pastoral response” in the peripheries.

Chapter II – Pastoral conversion

Mission is not something optional, the text says, because the Church is mission, and missionary action is the paradigm of all the work of the Church. In Amazonia, the Church must be modelled on the Good Samaritan, that is, she must go out to meet everyone. It is important, then, to pass from a “visiting” pastoral ministry to a pastoral ministry that is permanently present. For this reason, the synodal Document suggests that the religious Congregations throughout the world establish at least one missionary outpost in one of the Amazonian countries.

Ecumenical and interreligious dialogue

In this context, both ecumenical and interreligious dialogue are very important. It is “the indispensable path of evangelisation in Amazonia”, the text says.

The urgent need for indigenous pastoral ministry and for youth ministry

The document further recalls the need for an indigenous pastoral ministry, that would have a specific place in the Church:

Further, space must be given to Amazonian youth, with their lights and their shadows: divided between tradition and innovation; immersed in an intense crisis of values; victims of sad realities such as poverty, violence, unemployment, new forms of slavery, and difficulty in accessing education.

In particular, the Document suggests “a renewed and courageous youth ministry”, with an ever active pastoral ministry, centred on Jesus.

Pastoral care in the cities and for families

In the urban peripheries families suffer from poverty, unemployment, lack of housing, as well as numerous health problems. It becomes necessary, then, to defend the rights of all so that everyone has equal access to the benefits the city has to offer on the basis of the principles of sustainability, democracy, and social justice. It is necessary to fight, the text reads, so that in the “shanty towns” basic fundamental rights might be guaranteed.

Chapter III – Cultural conversion

Inculturation and interculturality are important in order to achieve a cultural conversion that leads Christians to go out to meet the other, and to learn from them. The Church is committed to being allied with the indigenous populations. the synodal text repeats, especially in denouncing the attacks on their lives, the predatory commercial projects, ethnocide and ecocide, and the criminalization of social movements.

Defending the land and defending life

“The defence of the land”, the text reads, “has no other purpose than the defence of life”, and is based on the evangelical principle of the defence of human dignity. It is therefore necessary to respect the rights of self-determination, the delimitation of their territories, and of prior consultation of indigenous peoples regarding the use of their land. A specific point is dedicated to the indigenous populations in voluntary isolation, of which there are approximately 130 in the Amazon today. Often victims of ethnic cleansing, the Church must undertake two types of action, one pastoral and another that of applying of pressure so that national governments might protect the rights and the inviolability of the territories of these people.

Indigenous theology and popular piety

From the perspective, then, of inculturation – that is, of the incarnation of the Gospel in the indigenous cultures – space is given for an indigenous theology and for popular piety, the expressions of which must be appreciated, accompanied, promoted, and sometimes “purified”, since they are privileged moments of evangelisation that ought to lead to an encounter with Christ.

Creating a network of Pan-Amazonian ecclesial communication

In the field of healthcare, too, the Document continues, this educational project should promote the ancient knowledge of traditional medicine in every culture. At the same time, the Church is committed to offering health care in places where national health care programs do not reach.

Chapter IV – Ecological conversion

In the face of “an unprecedented socio-environmental crisis”, the Synod calls for an Amazonian Church capable of promoting an integral ecology and an ecological conversion, according to which “everything is connected”.

Integral ecology, the only possible path

The hope is that by recognising “the wounds caused by human beings” to the territory, models of development based on justice and solidarity might be sought. This translates into an attitude that links the pastoral care of nature to justice for the poorest and most disadvantaged people of the world.

Defence of human rights and the demands of faith

More than a political duty and a social obligation, defending and promoting human rights is demanded by our Faith. Faced with this Christian duty, the Document denounces the violation of human rights, as well as extractive destruction; takes up and supports, also in alliance with other churches, the campaigns to disinvest in extractive companies that cause social and ecological damage to the Amazon; proposes a radical energy transition and the search for alternatives; and also proposes the development of programs of formation for the care of the “common home”.

A Church allied to the Amazonian communities

The appeal is to responsibility: we are all called to safeguard God’s work. The protagonists of the care for, and the protection and defence of the peoples are the Amazonian communities themselves. The Church is their ally, walking with them, without imposing a particular way of acting; recognizing the wisdom of the peoples concerning biodiversity, and against any form of biopiracy. The request is made that pastoral agents and ordained ministers be formed in this socio-environmental sensitivity, following the example of the martyrs of the Amazon. The idea is to create ministries for the care of the common home.

Defence of life

In the Document, the commitment of the Church to the defence of life “from conception to its natural end”, and to the promotion of intercultural and ecumenical dialogue, in order to counteract structures of death, sin, violence, and injustice. Ecological conversion and the defence of life in the Amazon are, for the Church, a call to “unlearn, learn, and relearn in order to overcome any tendency toward colonizing models that have caused harm in the past”.

Ecological sin and the right to potable water

The definition of “ecological sin” as “an action or an omission against God, against one’s neighbour, the community, the environment”, the future generations and the virtue of justice is proposed. In order to repay the ecological debt that countries have to the Amazon, the Document suggests creating a global fund for the Amazonian communities, so as to protect them from the predatory desires of national and multinational companies.

Chapter V – New ways of synodal conversion

Overcoming clericalism and arbitrary impositions; reinforcing a culture of dialogue, of listening, and of spiritual discernment; responding to pastoral challenges: these are the characteristics on which a synodal conversion must be based; a conversion to which the Church is called in order to advance in harmony, under the impulse of the life-giving Spirit and with evangelical boldness.

Synodality, ministry, the active role of the laity, and consecrated life

The document suggests that Bishops “can entrust, for a specific period of time, in the absence of priests, the exercise of pastoral care of the communities to a person not invested with the priestly character, who is a member of the community”. The responsibility for the community, it specifies, would remain with the pastor.

The Synod then proposes consecrated life “with an Amazonian face”, beginning with strengthening native vocations.

An opportune moment for women

Ample space in the Document is dedicated to the presence of women. As the wisdom of the ancestral peoples suggests, mother earth has a feminine face; and in the indigenous world, women are “ a living and responsible presence in human promotion”. The Synod asks that the voice of women be heard, that they be consulted, that they participate in a more decisive way in decision-making, that they might contribute to ecclesial synodality, and to take up more forcefully leadership within the Church, in pastoral councils, or “even in areas of government”.

The Synod notes many consultations on the Amazon sought the “permanent diaconate for women”, a theme very much present during the work of the Synod at the Vatican.

The permanent diaconate

The promotion, training, and support of permanent deacons is described as urgent. The deacon, under the authority of the Bishop is at the service of the community, and today is obliged to promote integral ecology, human development, social pastoral care, and service to those who find themselves in situations of vulnerability and poverty, which makes them like Christ.

Formation of priests

The formation of priests should be inculturated: there is a need to prepare pastors who live the Gospel; The Synod recommends that centres for formation, by preference, should be inserted into the Amazonian reality, and that non-Amazonian young people should be offered the opportunity of participating in such formation in the Amazon region.

Participation in the Eucharist and priestly ordination

Participation in the Eucharist is central for the Christian community. And yet, the Synod notes, many ecclesial communities in the Amazon territory have enormous difficulties in accessing the Eucharist. It can take months or even years for a priest to return to a community to celebrate Mass or offer the Sacraments of Reconciliation and Anointing of the Sick.

A post-Synodal regional ecclesial structure, and an Amazonian University

The Synod proposes a restructuring of the local Churches from a Pan-Amazonian point of view, resizing the vast geographical areas of many dioceses;

An Amazonian rite

In order to respond in an authentic Catholic way to the request of the Amazonian community to adapt the liturgy using their vision of the world, their traditions, their symbols and their original rites, the above-mentioned ecclesial structure is asked to set up a competent commission to study the development of an Amazonian rite that “expresses the liturgical, theological, disciplinary, and spiritual heritage of the Amazon”.

At the conclusion of the Document, the Synod Fathers invoke the protection of the Virgin of the Amazon, Mother of the Amazon, venerated under various titles throughout the region.

The #AmazonSynod has closed its second week of work, and a new vision on the Amazon region is emerging.

Amazon Synod: Cardinal Gracias sees similarities between Amazonia and India

Indian Cardinal Oswald Gracias is a Synod Father appointed by Pope Francis to the October 6-27 Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region. In an interview to Vatican News, he looks at the Synod and its issues from the Indian perspective. More here

Tuesday 15th October

Amazon Synod Briefing: Migration and Inculturation

Amazon Synod: The need for a permanent episcopal Pan-Amazonian structure

Dr Ruffini quoted the indigenous term for “knowing yourself” as being a “good starting point” in finding connections among cultures. Synod participants, he said, are aware their interventions are raising a series of issues that go beyond the local dimension of the Amazon Region and are applicable to all the world.

Comments by Fr Costa

Jesuit Fr Giacomo Costa is Secretary of the Information Commission for the Synod. He noted that the topic of “synodality” had been referenced in terms of “proximity”, “walking together”, and “reaching out”. Synod participants also spoke about the need for building better ties among dioceses and religious congregations, he said.

There were renewed calls in the Synod Hall for some kind of “permanent ecclesiastical organization” in the post-synodal phase, said Fr Costa. This could include an “observatory for human rights” to help provide integral scientific and human education”.

Fr Sidney Dornelas, C.S. (Argentina)

Fr Sidney Dornelas, C.S., is a Scalabrini missionary and Director of CEMLA, the Centre for Latin American Studies on Migration. He said the topic of migration is already present in the Synod Working Document. Many of the crises we have faced over the past 10 years have emerged because of migration flows, he added.

Bishop Eugenio Coter, of Tibiuca (Bolivia)

Bishop Eugenio Coter has spent the past 28 years in Bolivia, 6 of them on the border with Brazil and Peru. He sees signs of hope in this Synod, he said, in the indigenous people present, and in the fact of placing the Amazon Region at the centre of attention. Too little is known about the difficulties and challenges of the region, he added.

Bishop Rafael Alfonso Escudero Lòpez-Brea, of Moyobamba (Peru)

Bishop Rafael Alfonso Escudero Lòpez-Brea works in the eastern part of Peru where 25% of the population comes from the Andes.

The model of evangelization Bishop Escudero Lòpez-Brea proposes is through “teaching, preaching, and acts of charity”. He said he is confident charisms will arise for both ordained and non-ordained ministries. It is precisely the great commitment to evangelization in the region, he said, that gives us hope.

A question about lessons from women

Responding to a question about what indigenous cultures can teach us about caring for women and children, Dr Marcia Maria Oliveira stressed the vital role women play in the Church in the Amazon Region in terms of leadership and responsibility.

Theirs is not a power struggle, she said, but a service to the community. Women in the Amazon Region are “custodians of the seed”, said Dr Oliveira. They distribute goods and services and are responsible for the health of the community. Which is why they can teach us about integral ecology and how to practice “buen vivir” as “welcoming”.

A question about migration

Given his experience and expertise, Fr Sidney Dornelas was invited to respond to a question about migration in the Amazon Region. While confirming the desire of the Church to accompany migrants, he admitted there is a lack of organization and that the Church cannot assist everyone. He gave the example of the 150,000 people crossing the border from Venezuela and the many who have come from Haiti.

We need to “take a step forward”, he said, and focus on different contexts and countries, according to what he called the “levels of emergency”. There are linguistic, cultural, and religious issues associated with accompanying migrants, said Fr Dornelas.

Dr Marcia Maria Oliveira added that we “cannot understand the Amazon Region without understanding migration”, as it was formed by migrants, externally and internally.

Indigenous people on the Rio Negro in the Amazon rainforest

Cardinal Turkson on Amazon Synod: 'We must leave no one behind' October 14th 2019

On the sidelines of the Synod for the Amazon, Cardinal Peter Turkson speaks of the need to include those who belong to the Amazonian peripheries in integral human development.

By Linda Bordoni

Synodal Assembly in 2017 indicating that the main objective is “to find new ways for the evangelisation of that portion of the People of God, especially the indigenous, often forgotten and without a perspective of a good future, also for the cause of the crisis of the Amazonian forest, lung of fundamental importance for our planet”.

For me, Cardinal Turkson explained, the Synod is like a link in a chain and he said it’s been quite a long time that he has been following its development, starting with the first meetings between Pope Francis and the Popular Movements.

With the Popular Movements, he said, the focus was primarily on three basic rights: access to land, access to housing and access to work..

Here at the Synod, he continued, many of the same issues have come to light and directly regard the indigenous peoples.

“What are they looking for? Integrity of their land, jobs and ultimately human dignity,” he said.

Cardinal Turkson also spoke of the precious collaboration that has taken place between his Dicastery and the nine Churches of the Amazon region that make up the ecclesial network REPAM.

“For us, we see a progression stimulated by Pope Francis,” he said.

The Synod is part of an ongoing process

Cardinal Turkson said that it is “a keen sense of interest in the evolution and development of everything that has happened up to this moment” that he is following the Synodal process, and he stressed “It is not a point of arrival.”

He noted that discussions and interventions are bring to the fore many different issues, “some pastoral, some social, some developmental”.

From the point of view of his Dicastery, he said that although his team is deeply involved in the pastoral needs of the people, it is also very much aware of their other needs as well.

The Cardinal said that while it is important to help the indigenous peoples safeguard their culture and their heritage, the Amazon region must not be considered a museum: “we must help the people of the Amazon to open up”.

Leaving no one behind

“We must help them open up to modernity, to innovation, to development, “ he said, “The people of Amazonia, he said, must not be left behind”.

Cardinal Turkson expressed his belief that the Church’s pastoral concerns must include a clear vision and a programme that facilitates and promotes the growth of Amazonians in the realms of modernity and innovation .

He mentioned the possibility, for example, of offering all peoples the choice of being able to use solar energy and modern means of communications.

“I suspect that mobile phones are there… how do they charge them?” he said.

We need, he said, to recognize the very many factors that promote development and the common good, not betraying their culture, but making life easier and more fulfilling for them.

“This is also part of the vision that I think we need to set ourselves to realizing,” he concluded.

View of the Amazon River near Caballococha, Peru (@Repam Cidse)

Amazon Synod Day 5 October 11th 2019: Ecological sins and integral responses

Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, Archbishop of México (Mexico)

Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes opened his presentation with a call for “ecological conversion”. Climate change has amplified the “cry of the poor”, he said, and an “integral ecology” is the Church’s response. The Cardinal explained that an integral ecology means a change of lifestyle, abandoning the throwaway culture. It is essential we increase awareness, he said, because it is the poorest people on earth who are being affected.

Archbishop Pedro Brito Guimarâes, of Palmas (Brazil)

Archbishop Pedro Brito Guimarâes, of Palmas, said he comes from Brazil’s youngest State, in the heart of the country. 1.5 million people live there, along with 9 million heads of cattle. The cattle, said the Archbishop, often enjoy better healthcare than the people. That’s because their meat is exported to countries overseas. The primary animal feed in the region is soybean meal, but overplanting has had a negative impact on the earth, said Archbishop Pedro. The land is eroded, while pesticides and chemicals used to grow the soy have polluted the rivers. Cattle raising also requires a lot of water, and this too risks destroying natural resources.

Archbishop Pedro went on to speak of what he called “ecological sins”. They may be something new, he said, but we need to start confessing them. Quoting Pope Francis, he added how “everything is connected”, when you touch something you create a chain reaction, he said. The whole of humanity will feel the effects of decisions taken at this Synod, concluded the Archbishop.

Bishop Joaquín Pertíñez Fernández O.A.R. of Rio Branco (Brazil)

Bishop Joaquín Pertíñez Fernández began by emphasizing he comes from an area that crosses two time zones. The Bishop went on to speak about the history of his Amazon Region, which is not well known, he said. This is partly because the local culture is based on wood, rather than stone, so things disintegrate more easily. He spoke of coming of a land of martyrs where someone is “buried under every tree”. Bishop Fernàndez described how the people of this area were enslaved. Forced to sell their produce to their employers, they were trapped in a situation from which they rarely escaped alive, he said.

The Church was not present in this “place of human suffering”, explained the Bishop, because of the distances and lack of communication. It could take a month for the bishop to reach this area by canoe. And it will take a long time for the people of this territory to recover from all their “sad and cruel history of violence”, said Bishop Fernández. It will take several generations before they feel free to think for themselves and to make decisions, he said.

Sister Birgit Weiler, Congregation of Medical Missionary Sisters

Sister Birgit Weiler began her presentation by confirming that the Church wants to walk together with the people of the Amazon Region in order to confront this dramatic situation. Quoting the Instrumentum laboris, she said the Church needs to speak with a “prophetic voice” in order to address the health of the entire planet. We need to welcome the culture of the indigenous people, said Sister Weiler, and their vision of “buen vivir”, which means to live more in common among ourselves and in solidarity with the Earth itself. When we maltreat the earth, we are maltreating ourselves too, she added.

A question about multinational corporations

Sister Birgit Weiler also responded to the first question regarding multinationals not complying with the law. She affirmed how we all live in a common home and fighting for the rights of others is important. Then she gave the example of how Germany has passed a law according to which companies that cause environmental damage are held accountable even when they commit that damage in other countries.

Sister Weiler spoke of a network of collaboration among conferences of men and women religious, especially in Peru, where she works. Shareholders from multinational companies need to be made aware of the situation through lobbying, she added, to ensure companies respect local peoples’ rights. Often, the lives of Europeans and Americans are considered more valuable than those of people living in these territories – despite us all living together in one common home.

A question about isolated indigenous communities

Archbishop Pedro Brito Guimarâes chose to respond to the issue of isolated indigenous communities. Some of them choose to remain isolated, he explained. Others are forced to escape because their territory his being invaded. They go deeper and deeper into the forest, continued the Archbishop, and have no contact with other people. This leaves them open to diseases. Some die from a common cold. Sometimes it is impossible to reach them, he said. Not having any contact with these isolated peoples, we do not know how they think, or what they want. The Synod is discussing this theme, said Archbishop Guimarâes. It is important for the Church to protect their right to live in their own way, he added.

A question about women’s participation at the Synod

Sister Birgit Weiler went on to answer the following question about the atmosphere in the small working groups and the recognition of women’s ministry. She began by affirming “there is not a clerical attitude” in the working groups, and how “freedom of speech” has favoured an atmosphere where “critical questions can be put on the table respectfully and openly”. She described it as a beautiful experience of “discerning together”.

A good number of Bishops and Cardinals share the concerns the women have, and understand there are things that pain them and why, continued Sister Weiler. She confirmed there is recognition of women, but added that becoming a fully synodal Church means walking together, deciding together, having women in positions of leadership. All women, lay and religious, ought to be able to assume positions of responsibility, she said.

Sister Weiler recalled how the Synod working document confirms that women perform most of the pastoral work in the Amazon Region. Many women are working with indigenous peoples and want to be involved with indigenous theology, she said. She described this as “a sign of our time” that women are involved at this level. She also mentioned working to overcome violence against women, standing up for justice, and overcoming a “machismo” culture.

“Creation is a gift of love from God the Creator”, she said, and this is the meeting point with women of other religions. Many women are working to build bridges where differences often cause separation. This is not a power struggle, explained Sister Weiler, but a sharing of our “gifts of baptism, our vocation and insights, talents and charisms”.

Responding to a follow-up question concerning women voting on the Synod final document, Sister Weiler noted how there are 35 women present in various capacities in the Synod, and this is a significant step forward. Like many other religious women, she said, they would like to reach the point where their Superiors General would be able to vote just as Men Superiors General can. There is no real reason why they shouldn’t, she said.

A question about ecological sins

Archbishop Pedro Brito Guimarâes picked up on his earlier comment about “ecological sins”. He confirmed he is an optimist and is convinced that “a different world is possible”. However, unless we take care of nature, “we compromise the preconditions for our lives”, he said. While we profess in the Creed that we believe in God, “the Creator of Heaven and Earth”, we continue to sin against nature “without ever questioning ourselves”.

We need to start thinking about a simpler, more essential, life-style, suggested the Archbishop. We need to question ourselves, from a religious, social, economic perspective, he added. “We are not owners of Nature”, said Archbishop Guimarâes, only her guardians.

We have no other planet where we can live, he concluded. So we had better take care of this one.

Indigenous people in the Amazon

Amazon Synod Day 4 October 10th 2019

Amazon Synod Briefing: Ministers of the Word, face of indigenous Church

Participants share their personal experiences along with their impressions of Day 4 of the Synod for the Amazon with journalists during Thursday’s briefing in the Holy See Press Office.

Summary by Dr Paolo Ruffini

The issues discussed during the morning session were all interconnected in some way, added Dr Ruffini. They concerned ecological questions, the future of the planet, the value the Amazon Region represents for the entire planet, the violence committed toward the Amazon as an area, and toward the people who live there, the need to change the paradigm, to respect human rights, and to combat all forms of violence. These issues themselves are connected with culture, dialogue among cultures, evangelisation and the inculturation of the Gospel.

Other questions regarded how to “be Church in the Amazon”, and how people living there see the Church. Observations confirmed the lack of vocations in the Amazon region, the need for new forms of ministry, both ordained and non-ordained, the role of women, and the importance of the sacraments in the community. Emphasis was placed on the need to give suitable formation and responsibility to lay people, and to let go of a “clerical vision” in the Church.

Comments by Fr Giacomo Costa SJ

Fr Costa used the term “missionary synodality” to explain the way the Church can contribute in a specific region. He spoke of a “new way of being Church” that values the contribution of everyone: laity, indigenous, etc.

Presentation by Bishop Wilmar Santin, O.CARM., of Itaituba, Brazil

Bishop Wilmar Santin spoke of his personal experience ministering in an area that covers 175 thousand square km. His prelature was established in 1988, he said, but the Church’s work with the indigenous peoples dates back to 1910 or 1911. It was the Franciscans who began working there. They were followed by the Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, the same Congregation as Sister Dulce Lopes Pontes who will be canonized this Sunday.

Bishop Wilmar told the story of how the indigenous people did not want to approach the missionaries at first, until a Franciscan missionary won them over by playing his flute. Most of the people in the area where Bishop Santin ministers are baptised in the Catholic Church, he said. A Baptist mission headed by a Swiss couple is also there. The relationship between the Catholic missionaries and pastors of the Baptist Church has always been good, he added. They have been collaborating under a banner of dialogue since 1963.

The Bishop’s said his experience and intention has been to intensify the indigenous pastoral ministry. He spoke of how the local Church is putting into practice “what the Pope is calling us to do”: namely, that it should be the indigenous peoples themselves who shape the Church in the Amazon. An important aspect, said Bishop Wilmar, is that the people he works with should have their own leaders. Until now, these have always been foreigners. Pope Francis, said the Bishop, told someone how he dreamed of seeing an indigenous priest in every village. When Bishop Wilmar asked how to fulfil that dream, the Pope said he should start with what the Church already allows: the permanent diaconate. Which is what they decided to do. They developed a plan with an Italian priest who had worked in the indigenous missions in Amazonia all his life. The first step involved creating Ministers of the Eucharist, then ministries that Deacons perform in order to move toward being ordained as Deacons. They chose to begin with the Ministry of the Word, as the Eucharist cannot be preserved in these territories for very long. Formation for Ministers of the Word began in November 2017. 20 men and 4 women were appointed and began preaching the word of God in their own language.

This past March, Bishop Santin said he returned to that village and found another 24 Ministers of the Word, making a total of 48, who preach in their local language. The Bishop said it filled him with joy as he thought of the day of Pentecost when so many heard about the wonders of God, in their own language. This type of formation is advancing toward forming Ministers to baptize, and later to witness marriages, he said. The local people give great importance to the Sacrament of Baptism, he added, and they want to be married in Church. They desire God’s blessings. Which is why there have to be ministers to perform baptisms and marriages in every village. This will help the people very much, concluded Bishop Santin and in the future, hopefully, the ordination of deacons will be possible.

Presentation by Bishop Medardo de Jesús Henao Del Río, M.X.Y., Apostolic Vicar of Mitú, and Titular Bishop of Casae Medianae, in Colombia

Bishop Del Rio represents an area of the Amazon where 90% of the population are indigenous people. The nearest city is one hour away by plane. He described the situation there as particularly difficult. The drug trade, he said, is exploiting indigenous people in the area. While there is a school and a paramedic station, there is widespread malnutrition and many live abandoned. The Bishop told the story of a woman who was experiencing a difficult pregnancy. She had nowhere to go and had to perform a C-section on herself. Her husband managed to get her to the hospital where the gynecologist was shocked this could have happened. In this case, the woman and her child survived. In other cases, men have had to help their wives deliver babies using knives, and women sometimes die as a result. The Health Ministry has been asked to focus more on health care but a court proceeding has been going ahead with no results.

The Church has been intervening in these areas, said Bishop Del Rio. He quoted Pope Francis saying that the Amazon has never been so threatened, not only because the State is absent, but because so many companies come to exploit it. It is not just a matter of planting trees or collecting rubbish, said the Bishop, “we need an integral ecology”. Land is very important for the indigenous peoples, he continued, because that is where their family is buried. Sometimes entire communities disappear, said the Bishop, because of the multi-nationals that force them to leave their lands. Some deceive the people by obtaining legal permission, or getting signatures from leaders through devious means, including using alcohol. The Church is trying to support these people by exposing the exploitation of the multi-nationals, continued Bishop Del Rio. Sometimes they sign things without being fully aware of what they are signing. These are sacred lands for them. Contaminated water causes problems, he added, because it is their drinking water.

Bishop Del Rio recently ordained an indigenous deacon, using some symbols from both the Latin rite, and some used in similar ceremonies in the indigenous culture. We need to take on some of the symbols and values of the indigenous people, said the Bishop, because this is what provides meaning for them. The local people have a tradition of giving what they have in abundance, and offering it to others with dancing. We incorporate this into the Offertory, he said. In this way, we connect both the culture and the Christian experience. We use elements, situations and celebrations that have the seed of God in them, concluded the Bishop.

Sister Gloria Liliana Franco Echeverri, O.D.N., President of the Latin American and Caribbean Confederation of Religious (C.L.A.R.), from Colombia

Sister Echeverri shared her experience of how, at the end of August this year, a group of men and women religious from the 9 countries of Amazon got together, some of them travelling for 5 to 6 days. They call themselves itinerant men and women religious, and they accompany the people of the Amazon day by day in order to show them the face of Jesus. They offer them a word that can transform and help them to live with more dignity. C.L.A.R. comprises both men and women religious and comprises 22 countries. Sister Echeverri described their challenges as being called to live their proper vocation and to communicate and share the gift they have received with compassion and joy. She spoke of the importance of walking with the Church, one that is more synodal and more participative, listening and discerning.

Sister Echeverri spoke of feeling the need to renew the option for the poor and the excluded. They confront many complex realities, she said: poverty, corruption, migration. They also feel the need to foster the culture of encounter, to foster prophecy in the Church. The most effective way to do this, she said, is through fraternity. Sister Echeverri also urged opting for an integral ecology, recognizing the dignity of people, and that of all cultures. She spoke of the importance of caring for all the goods of Creation, encouraging alternative styles of life that are less consumeristic and more able to care for Creation.

A question about women deacons

Journalists present in the Holy See Press Office were reminded there are nearly 40 women at the Synod. Many more participated in the pre-Synodal consultations. The Church has a feminine face, said Sister Echeverri, she is Mother. There is a path for us to pursue as women, she added. We are not protagonists because many others have gone before us, like Saint Clare. She went on to mention the indigenous women of the Amazon, mothers and grandmothers. The Church discerns, she added. We do not know if this is the moment, but many people are seeking the “feminine face of the Church”, not one of of power, but of service. This is a moment of grace, “Kairos”. This is part of the discernment toward new paths, she concluded.

A question about drug trafficking

Bishop Del Rio responded to a question regarding how the drug trade affects the indigenous people, by describing the situation in Colombia, where he is Apostolic Vicar of Mitù. Despite the peace process, it is a violent area where guerilla fighters hide and where illegal crops are grown, he said. Once he saw four or five planes taking off, all of them filled with drugs. Young people try to become members of those groups because of the easy money they promise. One community started changing their way of life, said the Bishop, by updating their forms of food. Many indigenous peoples have left to find a “better” life and never return, said Bishop Del Rio.

A question about infanticide and violence against women

The example was given of the Mundurukus, a warlike people who used to cut off the heads of their enemy to use as a trophy. Prior to the arrival of missionaries, infanticide was practiced in cases where children were deformed. It was confirmed, however, that the dedication of women religious, working as nurses and teachers, has slowly made this practices disappear. But he concluded asking why people in the West should be scandalised when abortion in western hospitals is so widespread.

Sister Echeverri responded to the question about violence against women, saying “the Synod speaks to everyone”. What happens in the Amazon happens everywhere, she said, including violence against women. She mentioned human trafficking, in particular, saying it is connected to migration and sexual exploitation. Sister Echeverri also spoke of women being denied the right or possibility to study. She mentioned how women religious who have served the indigenous peoples have been murdered. These martyrs have made the Amazonian land fruitful, she added.

The fight for the worlds largest forests. When we focus only on the Amazon we are taking our eye of the Russian Forests that are being exploited, plundered and destroyed with corruption being one of the most opaque offenders. This article can be read here and comes from the Climate Home News website

And from the Columbans..............

In October 2019, a Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region will meet in Rome to discuss the theme “The Amazon: New paths for the Church and for integral ecology.”

A synod is an assembly of Catholic bishops convened by the pope to discuss a particular issue. To learn more about the synod, download this backgrounder.

The Missionary Society of St. Columban has lived in the Amazon region and accompanied the communities that call it home, including the natural world, for over half a century. Columban missionaries are involved in the Synod process and are co-founders of REPAM - the Pan-Amazonia Ecclesial Network - which connects and strengthens the work of the Church in the Amazon region so that its cry of pain can be heard.

In the months leading up to the Synod, Columbans from across the world will contribute to a series of articles called Synod on the Amazon: Model for the World. This series is about the Synod process, the Amazon region, and the work for peace and justice happening there. You can find all the installments of this series below.

• • Why a Synod on Amazonia? by Fr. Peter Hughes, SSC
• • From Cry to Song: Protecting our climate and biodiversity by Amy Woolam Echeverria
• • Caring for "Our Common Home" in the Anthropocene Era by Ellen Teague
• • Extinction of peoples and diversity by Wesley Cocozello
• • The spirituality and wisdom of the Amazon by Amy Woolman Echeverria
• • Australian Aboriginal People Offer Hope and Reconciliation by Fr. Peter Toohey
• • Laudato Si' and the Synod on the Amazon by Scott Wright
• • Columban ecological work in Pakistan by Fr. Liam O'Callaghan
• • Synod implications for the Philippines by John Din
• • Not a call for comestic change by Fr. Jim Mulroney
• • Commodifying the Amazon by Rebecca Eastwood
• • The Challenges of Militarism by Fr. Pat Cunningham