On International Women’s Day, Sister Rose Bertoldo, a nun and executive secretary of the Northern Region 1 of the National Conference of Bishops of Brazil (CNBB), shared a profound message on the role of women in the Church and in the defense of life in the Amazon. From Manaus, where she lives and carries out her pastoral mission, the religious—who is also a member of the Women’s Ministry Group of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA)—reflected on the challenges, hopes, and commitments of Amazonian women in building a more synodal, participatory Church committed to justice.
A Church with a feminine face
Sister Rose expressed her dream of an Amazonian Church that fully recognizes the contribution of women in all areas of ecclesial life. “I dream of a Church with a feminine face, a sisterly and companionable Church, where women and men walk together,” she said.
In her reflection, she emphasized the need for the Church to value the various ministries present in communities, especially those exercised by women, who have historically sustained pastoral life in territories that are often remote and have little clerical presence. In this regard, she also expressed her hope that one day the female diaconate will become a reality, developed from the experience and practice of women in communities.
She also highlighted the importance of women actively participating in the processes of discernment and decision-making within the Church, not only as collaborators, but as protagonists of ecclesial life.
Remembering women’s struggles
In her message, the nun recalled that March 8 is also a day of remembrance and recognition of women’s historic struggles for a dignified life free of violence. She evoked the workers who died in a factory fire in New York, a symbol of women’s labor struggles, as well as many other women who have given their lives in defense of justice.
Among them, she recalled the missionary Dorothy Stang, who was murdered in the Amazon for her commitment to defending Amazonian territories and peoples. Her testimony, she said, continues to inspire many women who today work to care for life and our Common Home.
The strength of Amazonian women
Sister Rose described the strength of Amazonian women using a deeply symbolic image: the current of the Amazon River. Like its waters—seemingly calm on the surface but powerful within—Amazonian women possess a silent strength that sustains life in their communities.
This strength is expressed in many ways: in caring for children and young people, in defending their territories, in protecting nature, and in fighting for the dignity of those who suffer violence or exclusion. Many women, she explained, dedicate their lives to accompanying victims of abuse, sexual exploitation, and various forms of violence.
The spirituality of these women is nourished by the daily life of their communities, especially by popular religiosity. Novenas, praying the rosary in homes, celebrations of the Word, and devotion to the Virgin Mary and the saints are spaces where faith is lived and passed on from generation to generation.
Threats faced by Amazonian women
The nun also pointed out the multiple threats faced by women in the Amazon today. Among them, she highlighted the loss of territories, the expansion of drug trafficking, illegal mining, and the advance of agribusiness, realities that directly impact the lives of communities.
In cities, she added, various forms of violence against women persist: domestic, psychological, patrimonial, and sexual violence, in addition to the worrying increase in femicide.
These realities require strengthening community processes, promoting the organization of women, and investing in education—both formal and popular—as a way to generate leadership that defends the life and rights of peoples.
A Church committed to life
For Sister Rose, ecclesial spaces such as the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) represent an opportunity to continue building a Church that is closer to the territories and realities of the Amazonian peoples.
In these processes, she emphasized, the participation of women is fundamental, as they help to make visible the violence and violations of rights that affect communities, while at the same time promoting paths of hope and transformation.
Her final message was an invitation to the entire Amazonian and universal Church to recognize, respect, and value the contribution of women:
“We want to contribute more and more in all ecclesial spaces—in formation, in study, and also in decision-making. We want to be protagonists, to live in a Church where equality and dignity are a reality.”
With the serene strength of the waters of the Amazon, she concluded, women continue to weave hope and defend life in all its dimensions, building day by day a Church that walks alongside the peoples and cares for our Common Home.