World Church · October 30, 2026
Amazonian Church continues implementation of Synod goals seven years later
The Amazonian Church continues to follow the paths established by the Synod for the Amazon, seven years after the celebratory stage of the event concluded on October 27, 2019.
This process has resulted in the creation of ecclesial bodies, the promotion of synodality, and the development of educational initiatives. It has also led to reflections on an Church with an Amazonian face and the strengthening of missions within territories. These initiatives involve bishops, priests, religious members, laypeople, and indigenous communities.
Pope Francis convened the Synod in October 2017, and it was celebrated from October 6 to October 27, 2019, following a listening phase in 2018 and 2019. The theme was Amazonia: new paths for the Church and for an integral ecology. The Final Document of the Synod offered proposals for pastoral, cultural, social, ecological, and synodal conversion. The implementation of this path was further encouraged by the publication of the Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation titled Dear Amazon on February 12, 2020.
One significant result is the creation of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon, known as CEAMA. This regional body was officially born on June 29, 2020, and was canonically erected by Pope Francis on October 9, 2021. CEAMA aims to promote synodality and new paths for evangelizing missions in the Pan-Amazon. It works alongside the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network, known as REPAM, to drive processes of listening, dialogue, discernment, and action.
The Amazonian synodal process has also influenced the broader Church. This experience contributed to the First Ecclesial Assembly of Latin America and the Caribbean in 2021. Furthermore, the Synod on Synodality, held between 2021 and 2024, referenced the experience of CEAMA. In local churches, this is seen through community listening processes, ecclesial assemblies, and increased participation of women and laypeople in coordination and discernment.
Additionally, the Church is exploring how to celebrate faith based on the cultures of local peoples. The Final Document of the Synod suggested studying a specific rite for indigenous peoples. In response, CEAMA has led a research process involving bishops, priests, researchers, and community representatives. This work covers theological, liturgical, anthropological, and historical dimensions to create a liturgy that dialogues with the languages and symbols of Amazonian peoples.