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SYNOD FOR THE AMAZON: New Paths For The Church
The Instrumentum Laboris (Working Document) of the upcoming Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazonian Region has been released in the Vatican. The Synod takes place from 6 to 27 October 2019 on the theme “Amazonia: new paths for the Church and for an integral ecology.”
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Sep 2019At the heart of the Synod’s Instrumentum Laboris is the cry of the Amazon that asks the Church to be its ally in reaching out to everyone, especially to the poor, as they seek true fulfilment and human dignity in their lives.
The Working Document is the result of a listening process that began with Pope Francis’ visit to Puerto Maldonado in Peru on January 2018, and continued with consultations throughout the Amazon Region and a Second Meeting of the Pre-Synodal Council last May.
Amazonia, at the heart of South America, encompasses a region of 7.8 million square kilometres. It includes territory that belongs to nine different nations: Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, Suriname and French Guyana. Its 5.3 million square kilometre rainforest is the largest in the world and is an irreplaceable source of fresh water, oxygen and biodiversity for the planet.