In the framework of the commemoration of the five years of the founding of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA), Sister Rose Bertoldo, Brazilian nun and current secretary of the CNBB North 1, shares his hopeful and committed view on this synodal path which, he says,“It cannot be understood without the dimension of networking, listening, and discernment from the territories.”
For Sister Rose, these five years mean remembering a deeply personal process collective and community. “What CEAMA has taught us most is that we are not alone: We need to walk together, weave relationships and strengthen processes,” he says. In his pastoral experience, he emphasizes that synodality is not a concept, but a concrete practice of listening to the people, discerning with them and proposing paths based on their realities.
A Church that becomes close
“We are on the right track,” he says with conviction. CEAMA, in his opinion, has been a light that gives visibility to the life of communities and the signs of a Church that listens, accompanies, and allows itself to be challenged by the wounds of the land. From the most remote dioceses, prelatures, and communities, we can see the fruits of this synodal Church that “walks with its people and is attentive to the realities.”
Sister Rose remembers that CEAMA is the result of the synodal process born from the Amazon Synod, and that this journey is just beginning: “It’s a reality that will last for a long time. It has been built by many people from their territories, with a deep sense of belonging and commitment.”
Achievements with a woman’s face and care for life
Among the most significant advances, the consolidation of CEAMA as a living organization in the territories and the emergence of specific processes such as:
- The ministeriality and reflection on the new ministries.
- The creation of the Amazonian Rite.
- Strengthening the Amazonian University Program, which opens educational paths from the reality of the territory.
But one of the most important contributions that Sister Rose highlights is the growing “Making the role of women visible in the Amazonian Church” in the Amazon, it is women who define the paths of evangelization. It’s not enough to recognize this: we must value it, guarantee their rights, and ensure their voice in the processes,” she affirms.
Her testimony reminds us that many women are on the front lines protecting life, denouncing injustice, confronting violence such as femicide, sexual abuse, and the destruction of territories. “Women are guardians of life in all its dimensions. They are fundamental to the present and future of our Common Home.”
A synodal Church, from and for the territories
Finally, Sister Rose points out that the experience of CEAMA also teaches the universal Church: when a territory is prioritized, it generates greater closeness to the communities, especially with the most vulnerable. It is an experience of conversion, of walking together, of strengthening the foundations, and of projecting a Church with an Amazonian face, prophetic and hopeful.