As part of the visit by the Presidency of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) to the various dicasteries of the Holy See, a fraternal meeting took place on Friday, October 24, with the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life, presided over by Cardinal Kevin Farrell.
Cardinal Pedro Barreto, president of CEAMA, introduced the presidential team, highlighting the presence of two lay people—both married—as a concrete sign of Amazonian ecclesiality and the synodality that animates this ecclesial process.
Cardinal Farrell expressed his interest in learning more about the reality of families, young people, and culture in the Amazon region, emphasizing the importance of inculturation of the faith and of a catechesis that is not limited to theological teaching but also integrates the social and community dimensions of Christian life.
During the dialogue, Patricia, a lay representative, shared the richness and challenges of the indigenous Amazonian family, characterized by its breadth, solidarity, and deep sense of community:
“The indigenous family has a strong tradition of community. Marriage is celebrated publicly before the people, and baptism reinforces bonds of compadrazgo that expand the spiritual family.”
However, she pointed out how urban migration processes are leading to family dispersion and loss of traditions, while the presence of new religious denominations has affected relationships with the territory and the sense of ancestral belonging.
For her part, Sister Laura emphasized that the defense of life in the Amazon is closely linked to the defense of the territory:
“Life is also defended by protecting the land. The Amazonian Church is committed to accompanying communities in their struggle for dignity and justice.”
The challenge of youth ministry in urban contexts, where young people experience a loss of cultural identity, was also addressed, as was the need to train lay people and religious to accompany catechetical and matrimonial processes adapted to local times and sensibilities.
Monsignor Zenildo Lima reflected on caring for our Common Home from the perspective of the family, pointing out that indigenous peoples more clearly preserve the harmonious relationship between family life and nature, while in urban environments there is a growing fragmentation of bonds and values.
“We need to think about inculturated models of family ministry and overcome clericalism in lay movements. Our families need a Church of mercy, not authoritarianism,“ he said.
Cardinal Farrell expressed his gratitude for the exchange, recognizing the depth of the Amazonian testimony:
”Faith came to many territories through families and lay people, not just Peter and Paul. You continue that mission in the heart of the Amazon.”
This meeting reaffirms the common commitment to a Church that listens to, values, and accompanies Amazonian families, recognizing them as the first place where faith is incarnated and flourishes.
A symbolic gesture: the Pelazón dolls
At the end of the meeting, the CEAMA delegation offered the Dicastery a set of Pelazón dolls as a gift, made of yanchama fiber by Tikuna artisans from Leticia, Colombia.
These figures represent the Tikuna female initiation rite, a rite of passage into adulthood that celebrates life, community, and the bond with nature. Made from fibers from the Amazon rainforest, the dolls evoke the strength of indigenous women and families who pass on their faith and culture from generation to generation.