In a gesture of closeness and continuity with the synodal process in the Amazon, Pope Leo XIV received in a private audience the Cardinal Pedro Barreto, president of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA), last Tuesday, July 1. The meeting was a significant opportunity to reaffirm the Church’s commitment to the Amazonian peoples and to a synodal Church, inculturated and committed to our Common Home.
“The audience with Pope Leo XIV was a warm and effective confirmation of his closeness to the Church’s journey in the Amazon,” said Cardinal Barreto.
During the dialogue, Pope Leo XIV expressed his joy at the vitality of the synodal process experienced in the region, highlighting the importance of ecclesial experiences such as CEAMA and the REPAM, which he considered “complementary and fundamental” for the future of the universal Church.
Key topics of the meeting
One of the central points was the presentation of the CEAMA Strategic Framework for the period 2026–2030, which, at the direction of Pope Leo XIV, was given to Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Integral Human Development, for his knowledge and connection with organizations contributing to the CEAMA Heritage Fund, a key tool for sustaining ecclesial actions in the Amazon.
Likewise, progress in the institutional strengthening of CEAMA was addressed: the consolidation of its Executive Secretariat, the close coordination with REPAM, and the promotion of processes of communication, planning and pastoral sustainability.
Pope Leo XIV also encouraged consolidating the relationship between CEAMA and CELAM, emphasizing the importance of “walking together in communion, participation and mission,” as a concrete expression of the synodal Church driven by the Spirit.
Meeting of Bishops of the Amazon
Cardinal Barreto shared with the Holy Father the details of the upcoming Meeting of Bishops of the Amazon, which will take place in Bogotá from August 17 to 20, Pope Leo XIV expressed his joy at this initiative and welcomed the sending of a message at the beginning of this meeting.
“It will be a message to reinforce the responsibility and hope of continuing to walk together, as shepherds and servants of the Amazonian people,” said Cardinal Barreto.
An experience that inspires the universal Church
In the words of the Cardinal himself, the Amazonian synodal experience is a “pilot” experience for the entire Church, a concrete example of how local Churches in the Amazon can inspire profound changes in the universal Church.
“We are very confident that God will continue to bless this process with the support of Pope Leo XIV, as a continuation of one of the great dreams left to us by Pope Francis,” he concluded.
Photo: © Vatican Media