Pope Leo XIV laments ‘growing deterioration’ of the Amazon’s natural environment

In a video message addressed to the sixth assembly of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon, Pope Leo XIV highlighted environmental deterioration, synodality, inculturation, and evangelization.

“You have made me keenly aware of the sufferings and hopes of the region’s inhabitants, as well as the growing deterioration of their natural environment. To all those suffering from this situation, I wish to express my closeness,” the pope said in the message for the gathering, which is being held in Bogotá from March 17–19 and which marks a new step in the ecclesial journey of the Amazon region.

The gathering brings together pastors, men and women religious, and lay faithful from the Amazonian territories with the aim of laying the foundations to promote synodality within local Churches during the 2026–2030 period, foundations that could serve as an instrument to guide the evangelizing mission in the Amazonian territory.

The pontiff also referenced another key part of the meeting: the election of the presidency of the CEAMA for the 2026–2030 term.

He noted that the new team’s tasks will include continuing to advance the implementation of the Synod for the Amazon and preparing contributions drawn from the Amazonian experience for the ecclesial assembly scheduled to take place in Rome in 2028.

“Know that I accompany you with my prayers in this important step,” assured the pope, who also described the assembly as “a privileged time of listening to the Holy Spirit” to discern the path of Christian communities in the Amazon region.

In this regard, he cited Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Querida Amazonía, recalling that the Church’s mission is to proclaim “a God who loves every human being infinitely, a love he has fully manifested in Christ.”

‘Something new is being born’

The participants in CEAMA’s sixth assembly have chosen as their theme a verse from the prophet Isaiah: “I am about to do something new: It is already springing forth, do you not perceive it?” (Is 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 affirmed.

To illustrate this, he drew upon the image of the “shihuahuaco” — known as the “giant of the jungle” — a tree that grows slowly but can live for over a thousand years and become an ecosystem in itself, serving as a sanctuary for numerous species.

Through this metaphor, the pope explained that the Church must “be a sign of unity in diversity and a safe haven that generates and protects life.”

Furthermore, he noted that the current context demands an “adequate response to the numerous social, environmental, cultural, and ecclesial challenges that persist in the Amazon — a region threatened by situations of abuse and exploitation.” In this context, he made reference to the passion flower, “whose distinctive shape makes a striking allusion to the passion of Christ” and which the participants have chosen as the symbol of the assembly.

“It represents the prophetic role of the Church and of all its members — each according to their own mission: to proclaim the ‘kerygma’ [Gospel message] and new life in Christ, to accompany those who suffer, and to safeguard creation and respect for life in all its forms, especially human life,” he stated.

A Church with an Amazonian face

Another objective of the ecclesial conference, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary, is to advance toward the construction of 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 the inculturation of the faith, which allows the Church to be enriched by new cultural expressions and to manifest the mystery of Christ with greater fullness.

However, he warned that it is a demanding path. “Inculturation is a difficult, yet necessary, path,” he affirmed, encouraging the participants to “courageously embrace the newness of the Spirit, capable of always creating something new with the inexhaustible treasure of Jesus Christ.”

At the conclusion of his message, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the Amazonian communities to continue strengthening the identity of missionary disciples in the region, recalling the witness of so many men and women who gave their lives for the Gospel in those territories.

“I encourage you to press forward together — pastors and faithful alike — in strengthening the identity of missionary disciples in the Amazon. Continue sowing in the furrow that has been watered even with the blood of so many men and women who have preceded you, and who, united to the passion of Christ, have become the root of a ‘giant tree’ growing in the Amazon,” the pontiff said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.