Pope Francis’ Apostolic Exhortation “Querida Amazonía” is “a love letter written for and with the People of God that pilgrimages in that beautiful and threatened territory,” said Cardinal Mario Grech.
Two years after the publication of the Holy Father’s Apostolic Exhortation “Querida Amazonía,” Cardinal Grech, Secretary of the Synod for Bishops, reflected on the consequences of the Papal Document in a statement published on February 5, 2022, on the Synod’s page 2021-2023.
People’s Lives and the Church’s Promise
According to the Cardinal, “two of the most essential elements in this Exhortation is the life of peoples living there and the promise made as Church to respect and honor their voices in the quest of a genuine conversion.”
In his statement, the Cardinal acknowledged that “to take steps in this direction takes time.” “We have seen that the seeds planted in the course of this synodal process reached a point of change with the presentation of “Querida Amazonia.” “Some seeds are still in the process of germination, others haven’t borne fruit, but many have grown, are flowering, and will continue to give life to future generations,” continued the Cardinal.
Hence, “Querida Amazonía” said the Cardinal “continues to be as important as it was then. It continues being a love letter for and with the People of God that pilgrimages in this beautiful and threatened territory. It is a letter that emanates from Poe Francis’ gratitude for the force with which the Holy Spirit erupts from this theological place (locus) to illumine and awaken the heart of the world and of the Church.”
Integral Synodal Conversion
In his reflection, Cardinal Grech described Pope Francis’ and the Church’s pressing dreams. These dreams (social, cultural, ecological, and ecclesial) “embody a rebirth of the most profound invitations of Vatican Council II, making ‘Querida Amaznia’ an appropriate means to lead the Church to the integral synodal conversion to which the 2021-2023 Synod invites us.”
The Cardinal pointed out that, since its publication “God continues to manifest Himself in the midst of the sacred mystery of this territory in the life of His people and in the testimony of an incarnated, holy and at the same time sinful Church. God manifests Himself here despite the fear of some to change, or of others’ desire to impose an ideological view.”
The Periphery Is the Center
Cardinal Grech also recalled that, during the preparation of the Synod on Amazonia, Pope Francis said: “the periphery is the center.” This affirmation, he continued, “can be understood as a fundamental evangelical element, which can cast light on the two years since the presentation of ‘Querida Amazonía.’”
Thus, “what was discarded or secondary before in this territory has become a cornerstone, healing a broken world and creating new possibilities for the Church.” This path, “where the marginalized become source of life, is in fact, Jesus’ way. The voices of the Amazon territory (their direct participation) are changing the pastoral model of the Amazonian Church, becoming a source of renewed life for the Church and the world,” he added.
Ecclesial Conference of Amazonia
Referring to the Ecclesial Conference of Amazonia (CEAMA), the Cardinal pointed out that it “opens a new path for pilgrim and missionary discipleship of the Amazonian Church.” CEAMA “articulates the regional structures of the Church.”
At the end of his statement, Cardinal Grech reiterated that “the breath of God’s Spirit, which springs from Christ’s presence in the Amazonian Church, continues inspiring and challenging through the overflowing of many fruits and gifts,” adding that, on this 2nd anniversary of “Querida Amazonía,” this breath of God’s Spirit continues generating new life for the good of the Church.”
Translation by Virginia M. Forrester
