“A Church that walks in the Amazon”: Six years after the Synod for the Amazon, the bishops of the Amazonian local Churches are preparing for a new moment of encounter, discernment, and fraternity. Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) summons the Meeting of Bishops of the Amazon, which will take place fromAugust 17-20, 2025, in the city of Bogotá, Colombia.
The event will be the first in-person meeting of Amazonian bishops since the 2019 Synod, and constitutes an opportunity to recognize the path traveled, deepen synodality, share common challenges, and renew our commitment to a Church embodied in the Amazonian territory.
A moment to look back… and forward
Monsignor Eugenio Coter, Bishop of the Vicariate of Pando/Reyes (Bolivia) and Secretary of the Organizing Committee of the Meeting, extended a fraternal invitation to all the bishops of the region:
“Dear brother bishops, it will be a joy to meet in Bogotá in August for the first meeting following the Amazon Synod. Six years have passed since this important ecclesial moment. We will gather to acknowledge the progress we have made and to reflect on the challenges we still face.”
From the missionary and pastoral commitment, this Meeting seeks to strengthen the ties between pastors and promote a living, prophetic and serving Church, deeply rooted in the realities of its people.
The Amazon, a theological place and hope for the world
The reflection during the Meeting will not be limited to internal ecclesial issues. As Monsignor Coter points out, the Amazonian context is key for the planet and for the future of humanity:
“We will gather to share, at this moment in the Church, the joy of being a Church present in the Amazon, where it plays an important role in the history of the world, in the climate of the world, where people struggle to live and to build a little more of the Kingdom of God within this reality.”
An adventure of faith, community and commitment
This meeting will also be an opportunity to assess the collective journey undertaken with CEAMA, consolidate joint work, and discern new pastoral responses to the major challenges facing our region: climate change, the defense of indigenous peoples, the strengthening of ecclesial communities, intercultural formation, and socio-environmental justice.
“It will be a joy to meet and share this adventure, this experience, this journey of the Church. We look forward to seeing you,” concluded Monsignor Coter.
With this call, CEAMA continues to encourage an outgoing, synodal, and committed Church that listens to, accompanies, and learns from the Amazonian peoples, and remains faithful to the Gospel mandate: “to make the Kingdom of God a living reality in the heart of the Amazon”.