The Synod on the Amazon: Rowing Deeper

After 21 days of intense intercultural exchange and dialogue, the Synod on the Amazon ended last Sunday October 27th. The Synod was called by Pope Francis in 2017 and has been preceded by consultations to over 17.000 people on questions concerning the Amazon region, the future of the Church and the care for our common home.

The Synod has ended with a call to row deeper in the transformation of the church and the world. For that, it is urgent to listen the cries of the peripheries and our sister the Earth. The Amazon and the Amazonian peoples have important messages to share. According to the  testimonies collected in Rome, one of the most impressive features of this Synod has been the shared joy and the sense of universality among a great cultural diversity. The Amazonian Church is called to row deeper into social change, integral ecology and spiritual conversion and show us new paths into the future.

Xavier network has been engaged in this process of the Synod from its  beginnings. Our network supports the Panamazonian Jesuit Service. It has also collaborated in conducting a research on the state of the art of intercultural education in 6 Amazonian countries and the production of a video. Xavier network was invited to participate in the side-events organized  by the Common House and to share its experiences regarding international advocacy.

This article was written by Alicia Aleman of ALBOAN.