Six years after the Synod for the Amazon, the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) It presents itself as a mature sign of a long ecclesial process that, beyond structures, seeks to embody a new way of being Church based on deep listening to peoples and territories. Its existence is, in itself, the concretization of an ecclesiological response born from the specific sensibilities of the Amazon, with significant implications for the entire universal Church.
From listening to the institution: a seed born from the earth
CEAMA emerged through processes, not decrees. Its origins lie in the synodal journey convened by Pope Francis in 2017, which culminated in the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region in 2019. Through the voices of indigenous peoples, riverine dwellers, Afro-descendants, migrants, and many other ecclesial agents, the urgency of a pastoral, ecological, and synodal conversion clearly emerged. The call was firm: a new mode of organization and presence of the Church in the Amazon is necessary. Instituted in 2020, CEAMA is an expression of synodality with a territorial face.
“It is the first ecclesial conference of its kind, bringing together not only bishops but also lay people, women and men, religious men and women, and representatives of the peoples. It is a structure of communion and co-responsibility, shaped by the spirit of “Dear Amazonia” and illuminated by an ecclesiology that values the diverse aspects of the Church from the territories.
2025: a milestone of ecclesial maturity and projection
This year, 2025, marks an emblematic moment for CEAMA. It marks six years since the Synod for the Amazon, three years since the approval of its Statutes by the Vatican, and the Meeting of Bishops of the Amazon is taking place, bringing together bishops from the nine countries that make up the Pan-Amazonian region. More than an event, this gathering is a sign of the communion that is being forged from the territories in response to the challenge of being a Church with an Amazonian face and a synodal spirit, recognizing that bishops are the first to be called to ecclesiological conversion.
A key moment this year was the official audience between Pope Leo XIV and the president of CEAMA, Cardinal Pedro Barreto, on July 1 in Rome. This audience was received as an explicit confirmation of the ecclesial value of CEAMA’s journey, a gesture of communion that validates this historic innovation of a Church that seeks to journey with the people, from the peripheries to the center. In the Pope’s words, CEAMA represents a concrete expression of a Church on the move, one that allows itself to be challenged and transformed by the cries of the land.
In this same spirit, CEAMA is developing its Synodal Apostolic Plan 2026–2030, the fruit of deep listening, processes of communal discernment, and pastoral reflection. This plan will be presented for approval at the 2026 General Assembly, where a new presidency for the Conference will also be elected. The plan will outline synodal apostolic priorities, guiding the Church’s pastoral action in the Amazon around four verbs: proclaim, guard, weave, and convert.
An ecclesiology that rises from the ground and looks to the future
CEAMA represents a significant advance in the understanding and experience of synodality. It is not only a matter of transforming structures, but also of allowing the logic of listening, shared discernment, and co-responsibility to permeate ecclesial life. This vision is clearly embraced in CEAMA, where decisions must be made in assembly and with the participation of a plurality of ecclesial subjects.
Furthermore, CEAMA is called to create new modes of cooperation between local Churches, episcopal conferences, and continental organizations such as CELAM and REPAM, maintaining a close connection with the dicasteries of the Holy See. It is an ecclesial laboratory where communion becomes a path of missionary conversion, and where the Amazon region ceases to be merely an object of attention and becomes a subject of proposal.
From the Amazon to the world
Pope Francis has repeatedly said that “the periphery is the center.” CEAMA is a living example of this. Its history demonstrates that it is possible to learn from peripheral ecclesial territories, where experiences, practices, and visions germinate that enrich the entire Church. The Amazon is not only a recipient of mission, but a source of missionary renewal for the world.
CEAMA is, therefore, a prophetic sign of a Church on the move, a unique structure that reveals how synodality can be incarnated in local realities without losing communion with the whole. Its journey is just beginning, but its existence can already inspire ecclesial communities, pastoral organizations, and ecclesial structures on different continents.
May the horizon of the 2026 General Assembly and the implementation of the Synodal Apostolic Plan further strengthen this ecclesial experience that was born from the fertile soil of the Amazon, grew with the power of its rivers, and continues to bear fruit for the entire Church.