According to the directives of the Second Vatican Council, the church is putting into practice the guidelines of a pastoral ministry embodied in the world. The Amazon is a place that concerns everyone, where many global challenges of our time concern everyone.
Among the topics addressed were the tragedy of drug trafficking and its consequences. It was noted that some areas of the Amazon had witnessed a growth in the area planted with coca plants from 12 to 23 thousand hectares, and to the devastating consequences of this between the increase in crime and the impact of the natural balance in the increasingly deserted region. The impact of the construction of hydropower centers on large and biodiversity-rich natural reserves was also recalled, along with deliberate fires that are destroying millions of hectares and their impact on the ecosystem in some areas. The bishops therefore see the need to call for ecological apostasy and for the Church to be a prophetic voice for integrating integrated ecology into the programs of international bodies.
They discus upon the balance between culture and preaching, and the bishops called for meditation in the example of Jesus, where some described the incarnation itself as a great sign of culture. It was stressed that the Church is called upon to embody the concrete lives of people, as did the missionaries in the Amazon. In his intervention, a bishop called for this region to become a permanent laboratory of the missionary synod for the good of the people of the Amazon and the good of the Church.
In the context of preaching, priestly and monastic vocations were mentioned, and the choice of giving the sacrament of priesthood to married and elderly men was explained. A priest of a congregation but a priest of the church, and can therefore be the priest of any congregation. Another intervention indicated that there is a greater need not to serve the sanctities but to serve the faith. The need for greater and better upbringing of priests and valuation of the responsibility of the laity was reiterated.
Popular piety was one of the topics mentioned, where one bishop described it as one aspect of preaching that could not be disregarded, pointing out that popular piety is one of the distinctive characteristics of the peoples of the Amazon. It was therefore suggested that the Church should be more closely associated with the manifestations of this popular piety, strengthened and valued.
The interventions also touched on topics such as the importance of greater dialogue between creation theology and science, because forgetting creation means forgetting the Creator. There was also talk of defending the rights and dialogue of the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, as well as the importance of pastoral attention to young people among indigenous peoples and swing between traditional and Western knowledge.
There were also interventions not only for bishops but also for listeners and delegates who specifically addressed the enhancement of the role of women and the appreciation of their leadership in the family, society and the church. The woman was described as the guardian of life and missionary, the maker of hope, the maternal face and the mercy of the Church. Participants also spoke about the importance of interfaith dialogue based on trust and considering differences as opportunities.
While talking about ecumenical dialogue, the importance of taking a common path was also stressed, in order to protect indigenous peoples who are often the victims of violence, and to protect the Amazon lands devastated by methods of voracious mining and harmful agriculture. The bishops argue that a joint proclamation of the Gospel could be a way to combat these heinous crimes. She continued that the interventions, stressing that Christians cannot silence in front of the violence and injustice of the peoples of the Amazon, and that the declaration of the love of God in the most remote corners of the region means condemning all forms of abuse of the beauty of creation.
