During the CEAMA Assembly held in Bogotá, Fr. Santiago Felipe Lantigua Santana, a Jesuit currently serving in Georgetown (Guyana), shared his experience of this ecclesial gathering that brought together more than 90 participants from across the Amazon region.
The priest highlighted the richness of this gathering, where the Amazonian Church comes together to reflect on its challenges and discern ways to respond to God’s call in the current context. “We are facing our challenges, but we are also trying to find ways to respond to our Lord’s invitation,” he said.
One of the most significant aspects he highlighted was the cultural and linguistic diversity present at the Assembly. “Many languages—English, Spanish, Portuguese, and the local languages of indigenous communities—are here,” he noted, emphasizing that this plurality represents both a challenge and a great richness for the Church.
In this context, Fr. Lantigua affirmed that the Church in the Amazon is called to express the action of the Holy Spirit in every language and in every reality, recognizing diversity as a gift that strengthens communion. “We are working to express the Spirit in every region, in every language, but also in every reality of this Church,” he added.
His testimony reflects the synodal spirit that animates CEAMA: a Church that listens, dialogues, and walks together amid diversity, seeking to respond with fidelity and creativity to the challenges of the Amazon.
Finally, the priest invited everyone to continue living this process with faith and hope, recognizing that it is the Holy Spirit who guides the journey of the Amazonian Church toward greater communion, participation, and mission.