Amazonia

New paths for the Church and an integral ecology

F.A.O. (Rome), 4 June 2024

The heads of the F.A.O. - the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations - Dr. Qu Dongyu, Director General, and of the General Secretariat of the Synod, cardinal Mario Grech, Secretary General, will open at FAO Headquarters, (Sheikh Zayed Centre) on Tuesday 4 June 2024 at 14:30, the moment of reflection on the situation of the local communities in the Amazon basin promoted by the General Secretariat of the Synod on the occasion of the recent publication of the Acts of the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazonian Region.

The Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region took place in the Vatican from 6 to 27 October 2019. It was the first Special Assembly to enhance the phase of consultation of the People of God in the particular Churches, generating a rich debate not only within within the seven Episcopal Conferences present in the immense Amazon region (Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, Antilles, Ecuador and Venezuela), but also through the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network REPAM (Red Eclesial Pan Amazónica). he latter had promoted about 260 events in the territory: 70 Territorial Assemblies, 25 Thematic Forums and more than 170 other activities, including seminars, meetings of all kinds.

Following the model of the previous collections of the acts of the Synodal Assemblies, this volume contains the contributions prepared, discussed and approved by the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Panamázonian Region, presenting in chronological order all the material produced in the language in which it was drafted or pronounced. The Apostolic Exhortation Querida Amazonía, published in February 2020 and closing the volume, marked the transition from the celebratory phase to the implementation phase of the synodal process: the phase of reception of the synodal conclusions in the life of the People of God of that territory.

In Rome, the leaders of REPAM and CEAMA (the Ecclesial Conference for the Amazon) will also speak. The latter can rightly be considered a fruit of the 2019 Synodal Assembly. And it is precisely CEAMA that is now coordinating the implementation of the Pan-Amazonian Synod in the two fundamental directions indicated by the very title of the Synod: New paths for the Church and for an integral ecology.

It will be possible to follow the event via live streaming through this link: http://www.fao.org/webcast/home/en/item/6577/icode/