In an atmosphere of profound spirituality and communion with the Earth, the Jubilee of Indigenous Peoples was celebrated in Mindú Park in Manaus, a symbolic space where biodiversity, ancestral memory, and faith converge.
The gathering brought together indigenous leaders and organizations along with representatives of the Amazonian Church to celebrate the resistance, culture, and spirituality of the native peoples in harmony with the Jubilee of Hope, convened by the universal Church for 2025.
Cardinal Leonardo Steiner, Archbishop of Manaus and president of the Indigenous Missionary Council (CIMI), presided over the celebration and offered a profound reflection on the need to reconcile our relationship with Creation and with the peoples who guard it.
“We gather to celebrate the Holy Year of Redemption, the Year of Hope,” said the cardinal. “And in this Jubilee, we remember our closest relationships, those that unite us to the Earth, because we live from it, with it, participating in its very life.”
The dignity of all creatures
Inspired by the Gospel of St. Mark—“Proclaim the Gospel to all creation”—Cardinal Steiner recalled that salvation encompasses not only humanity, but all creation.
“Every creature participates in the mystery of salvation. None is excluded,” he said. “When indigenous peoples maintain a special relationship with nature, they are reminding us of the dignity of every creature, which participates in the life of the risen Jesus and in the new life that springs from God’s love.”
In his message, the archbishop emphasized that the indigenous way of relating to nature is a testimony of faith and a lesson for the modern world, which has often lost the ability to recognize the sacredness of life.
“Indigenous peoples teach us that every river, every tree, every being has its dignity and its place in life. This relationship is not one of domination or exploitation, but of care, respect, and reciprocity.”
Transforming relationships: hope for a new world
Cardinal Steiner invited those present to view this Jubilee as an opportunity to transform our relationships with creation, recognizing that salvation also involves transforming the way we inhabit the planet.
“Participating in the Holy Year means embracing the hope that there will be a different relationship with the environment. The hope that society will change. That we can relate to creatures not to dominate, destroy, or profit from them, but to live together in our Common Home,” he said.
The archbishop also recalled that the Church in Brazil has maintained a constant commitment to environmental and social causes, visible in the Fraternity Campaigns and in initiatives that promote ecological justice.
However, he warned that society remains deaf to the cries of the Earth and its peoples, and insisted on the urgency of a comprehensive ecological conversion, as proposed by Pope Francis in Laudato Si’ and Laudate Deum.
“It seems that hearts are closed and people do not realize how important all creatures are to our life and coexistence.
Celebrating the Holy Year means saying: there is still salvation, there is still hope, because we believe in conversion.“
”We are relatives”: a spirituality of universal fraternity
The Jubilee of Indigenous Peoples was also a moment of intercultural and spiritual communion, in which participants offered prayers, songs, and gestures of gratitude for the life of the Amazon and for the peoples who inhabit it.
Cardinal Steiner concluded his message with a profound invitation to live a spirituality of universal kinship, inspired by St. Francis of Assisi and the wisdom of the indigenous peoples:
“We live as brothers and sisters; we use such a beautiful and meaningful expression: we are relatives. May we all feel this way—brothers and sisters among ourselves and with all creatures. May God help us to be a source of hope and transformation, not destruction.”
A sign of hope on the Amazonian journey
The Jubilee of Indigenous Peoples is part of the celebrations of the Jubilee of Hope 2025 and reflects the commitment of the Amazonian Church to the recognition, defense, and full participation of indigenous peoples in ecclesial and social life.
This meeting also echoes the path taken by CEAMA and the local Churches, which continue to promote spaces for dialogue, prayer, and commitment to our Common Home and to a Church with an Amazonian face, prophetic and supportive.
“Hope becomes visible in the peoples who resist and in the faith that celebrates life. In the heart of the Amazon, the Jubilee becomes a song to creation and a call to convert our relationships in order to heal the earth and reconcile ourselves as a human family.”
