Pope Leo XIV sent a video message to participants of the Sixth Assembly of the Ecclesiastical Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA, by its Spanish acronym). The region is the largest tropical rainforest on the planet, covering an area of approximately 2.59 million square miles shared by nine South American countries. The Pontiff lamented the “increasing degradation” of the natural environment.
“You have made me deeply aware of the sufferings and hopes of the region’s inhabitants, as well as the increasing degradation of their natural environment. To all those suffering from this situation, I wish to express my closeness,” the Pope said in the message to the gathering.
This gathering brings together clergy, men and women and the faithful from the Amazonian regions with the aim of laying a foundation for promoting synodology within local churches during the period 2026-2030, a foundation that can serve as an instrument to guide evangelization mission in the Amazonian region.
The Pontiff also referred to another important part of the meeting: the election of the Presidency of CEAMA for the 2026-2030 term.
He said the tasks of the new team will include advancing the implementation of the Synod for the Amazon and preparing contributions drawn from the Amazonian experience for the ecclesiastical gathering to be held in Rome in 2028.
“Know that I am with you with my prayers in this important step,” the Pope assured. He also described the gathering as “a privileged time to listen to the Holy Spirit” to understand the path of Christian communities in the Amazon region.
In this regard he cited the apostolic exhortation of Pope Francis querida amazoniaReminding that the mission of the Church is “to proclaim a God who loves every human being infinitely, a love which he has fully revealed in Christ.”
‘Something new is being born’
The participants at the sixth assembly of CEAMA have chosen as their theme a verse from the prophet Isaiah: “I am about to do something new: it is already unfolding, don’t you realize it?” (It’s 43:19).
The Pope revisited this image to highlight the process currently underway within the Amazonian Church. “It’s true: something new is being born; it is still fragile, but it is already in process,” he confirmed.
To illustrate this, he created the image of the “Chihuahuaco” – known as the “giant of the forest” – a tree that grows slowly but can live for over a thousand years and become an ecosystem in itself, acting as a sanctuary for many species.
Through this metaphor, the Pope explained that the Church should be “a symbol of unity in diversity and a safe haven that generates and preserves life.”
Furthermore, he said that the current context “demands an adequate response to the many social, environmental, cultural and ecclesiastical challenges present in the Amazon – a region that is endangered by conditions of abuse and exploitation.” In this context, he referred to the passion flower, “whose distinctive shape gives a brilliant allusion to the Passion of Christ” and which the participants have chosen as a symbol of the gathering.
“It represents the prophetic role of the Church and all its members – each according to her own mission: to proclaim the ‘kerygma’ (gospel message) and new life in Christ, to accompany those who suffer, and to defend creation and the dignity of all forms of life, especially human life,” he said.
A church with an Amazonian face
Another objective of the ecclesiastical conference, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary, is to move towards building a Church with an “Amazonian face”, one of the great aspirations that emerged during the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region.
According to the Holy Father, this process is achieved through developing faith, which allows the Church to be enriched with new cultural expressions and to reveal the mystery of Jesus Christ with greater fullness.
However, he warned that it is a difficult path. “Inculturation is a difficult, yet necessary path,” he said, encouraging participants to “boldly embrace the newness of the spirit, which with the inexhaustible treasure of Jesus Christ is always able to create something new.”
At the conclusion of his message, Pope Leo XIV encouraged Amazonian communities to strengthen the identity of missionary disciples in the region, and recalled the testimony of the many men and women who have given their lives for the Gospel in those regions.
“I encourage you to move forward together to strengthen the identity of missionary disciples in the Amazon – clergy and faithful alike. Continue to sow seeds in that well, which has also been watered by the blood of many men and women who came before you, and who, united by the passion of Christ, have become the roots of the ‘giant tree’ growing in the Amazon,” the Pontiff said.
this story was first published By ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language affiliate of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
