Clergy assemble in Colombia for deliberations concerning the church's upcoming Pan-Amazonian strategy

A New Chapter for the CEAMA Assembly: A Look at the Bogotá Meeting

The upcoming CEAMA assembly in March is being viewed as a new chapter for the conference, with a focus on the synodal dynamic's role in permanent renovation. This renewed emphasis comes after a significant gathering in Bogotá, Colombia, held from August 17-20, 2021.

This meeting, organized by the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM), was the first high-profile event of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA). Over 90 bishops from the Pan-Amazon region, along with lay Catholics, Indigenous leaders, and other members of CEAMA, attended the event.

The main goal of the Bogotá meeting was to strengthen the connection between CEAMA and the dioceses. According to Mauricio López, CEAMA's lay vice president, the group discussion was seen as a valuable tool for addressing complex subjects. The meeting provided an opportunity for Indigenous communities and lay movements to participate and share their perspectives with the bishops.

CEAMA, established during the COVID-19 pandemic, was previously a "great mystery." However, the Bogotá meeting was an occasion for the bishops to learn about CEAMA and reflect on how it can better serve each particular church in the region. The role of CEAMA as a platform for exchanging experiences, disseminating information, and mobilizing advisers for specific projects was recognized by the bishops.

Illegal mining, logging, and ranching continue to attack the rainforest, devastating natural reservations and expanding farms. These issues, along with financial hardships and the lack of personnel, were topics of discussion during the meeting. A chronic lack of priests in the Amazon results in overburdening of existing ones and insufficient accompaniment of communities.

Italian-born Bishop Flavio Giovenale of Cruzeiro do Sul, in Brazil, expressed excitement about the things that can be done with CEAMA. He suggested the creation of an Amazon fund to finance part of the operations, resuming proposals from the 2019 Amazon synod.

The Bogotá meeting also highlighted the enormous financial burden of pastoral visits in the Amazon due to travel costs for boats and small airplanes. The meeting provided a platform for the bishops, many of whom were not present at the Amazon synod, to express the problems and challenges they face in their mission of evangelizing the Amazonian peoples, which encompasses traditional populations living in the rainforest, rural workers, and massive urban populations.

Synodality has been a fundamental aspect in the Amazonian church's recent developments. The Amazon synod's discussions were based on a working document prepared after thousands of residents shared their visions. CEAMA was created in 2020 to implement the commitments of the 2019 Amazon synod and give life to Pope Francis' post-synodal exhortation "Querida Amazonia."

As we approach the CEAMA assembly in March, the synodal dynamic will continue to play a crucial role in the permanent renovation of the conference. The lessons learned from the Bogotá meeting will undoubtedly inform the discussions and decisions made during the assembly.