The Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) is deeply pleased with the official inauguration of the new vice-presidency and executive secretary of the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM), which took place on November 27 at La Salle College and University in Manaus, Brazil.
The meeting, held in a hybrid format, allowed for the participation of leaders, groups, and allies from across the Amazon, testifying to the vitality and coordination that characterize this ecclesial process.
A decisive step in a time of transition and consolidation
For CEAMA, this moment marks a new impetus in its joint journey with REPAM, especially in this time of organizational transition and deepening of the synodal process. The renewal of internal services is seen as an opportunity to strengthen the shared mission of a Church with an Amazonian face, committed to the peoples and to the defense of our Common Home.
During the last week, Clara Ximena Lombana, the new executive secretary, completed an intensive transition process, reviewing the main areas of work of REPAM: dialogue with core groups, coordination with national secretariats, and updating the pastoral, territorial, environmental, and social challenges faced by the Amazonian peoples.
At the same time, the new vice-presidential team completed a fraternal integration process that allows it to assume its responsibilities with clarity, continuity, and a sense of service. This team succeeds the administration of Sister Carmelita de Lima Conceição, Jessica Patiachi, and Monsignor David Martínez de Aguirre, whose contribution has been fundamental in the consolidation of REPAM.
A diverse team at the service of life
The new vice-presidency is made up of complementary profiles that enrich the life of the network:
- Sister Ana María Palomino, a Laurita missionary with extensive experience in accompanying indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples, education, and binational pastoral coordination.
- Carol Jeri, lawyer and social manager of Caritas Madre de Dios (Peru), with a background in public management, rights advocacy, and advocacy networking.
- Fr. Julio Caldeira, IMC, communicator and Consolata missionary, with deep knowledge of the REPAM process and the Amazonian synodal journey.
- Mons. Evaristo Spengler, OFM, bishop of Roraima (Brazil), with a long missionary career and current president of REPAM Brazil.
This new team has already taken up its duties since November 27, while the executive secretary will officially begin her service on January 1, 2026.
Words of gratitude and hope
At the inauguration ceremony, Cardinal Pedro Barreto, president of CEAMA, expressed his deep joy at this new moment:
“Remembering the past with gratitude impels us to work more closely together in this continuity. REPAM continues to be God’s response to the deeply felt needs of the Amazon. We are called to live the present with enthusiasm and to look to the future with hope.”
The cardinal highlighted the unity of the “Amazonias” as a single diverse territory that challenges the whole Church, and recalled the importance of the shared mission between REPAM and CEAMA in the service of the peoples, especially in a context of climate crisis that requires urgent and decisive action.
For his part, Marcelo Lemos, executive secretary of CEAMA, underscored the value of the work carried out during this transition phase:
“This moment reveals that the project, sustained with such dedication, has generated new subjects for service and mission. Life multiplies when it is offered with generosity.”
Looking toward 2026: communion, mission, and integral ecology
CEAMA recognizes this step as a sign of continuity and renewal, with a team called to strengthen REPAM’s regional and international coordination, consolidate integral ecology as a common horizon, and walk in communion toward the VI CEAMA Assembly, scheduled for March 2026.
REPAM will continue to be presided over by Bishop Rafael Cob, bishop of the Vicariate of Puyo (Ecuador), who pointed out that this renewal opens up new possibilities for deepening the joint work between REPAM and CEAMA in the service of the Amazon.
Finally, CEAMA reaffirms its gratitude to those who have served with dedication and its full communion with those who today take on this mission, in fidelity to the call of Pope Francis and the path laid out by the Synod for the Amazon.
May this new era be a sign of hope, unity, and commitment to the life that beats in every Amazonian people and territory.
