During the Meeting of Bishops of the Amazon, a gesture laden with symbolism became a living memory of the region’s cries. Craftsman José Dorado, a resident of San Miguel de Velasco (Bolivia), made the 130 crosses received by the bishops participating in this ecclesial meeting with dedication and faith.
Each of these crosses is made from wood from trees burned in the Chiquitanía region of the Bolivian Amazon. Thus, the wound of the earth is transformed into a sign of faith and hope, reminding us that life can also spring from pain.
The crosses were blessed by Monsignor Robert Flock, bishop of the Diocese of San Ignacio de Velasco, in a moment of prayer that sealed this sign of community.
Each cross represents the cries of Mother Earth, wounded by the socio-environmental crisis affecting the Amazon. The year 2024 left behind painful figures: the highest levels of forest fires in two decades were recorded, with 2.8 million hectares of Amazonian tropical forests destroyed. A disaster with devastating consequences for both ecosystems and the indigenous communities that depend on them for their livelihoods.
This sign seeks to remind Amazonian pastors that their mission is closely linked to the defense of life, peoples, and our common home. In the hands of each bishop, the cross will be a call to renew their commitment to a Church with an Amazonian face, which listens to the cries of the Earth and the poor, and allows itself to be challenged by the Spirit who makes all things new.