Manaus (Brazil), April 7, 2026.
In an atmosphere of prayer, fraternity, and discernment, the new Presidency of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) held its first official meeting at the St. Joseph Seminary of the Archdiocese of Manaus, marking the beginning of a phase of renewal and consolidation of the synodal journey in the Amazon region.
The session was presided over by Cardinal Leonardo Steiner, OFM, Archbishop of Manaus, alongside the Vice-Presidents who reflect the vocational, cultural, and territorial richness of the Amazon: Fr. Jesús Huamán (Peru), representing the priests; Mr. Juan Urañavi (Bolivia), representing the indigenous peoples; Ms. Marva Joy Hawksworth (Guyana), representing the laity; and Sr. Sônia Pinho de Matos (Brazil), representing Religious Life. Also participating were the Executive Secretary, Marcelo Lemos (Brazil/Colombia), and the Director of the Institutional Strengthening Program, Bishop Eugenio Coter (Bolivia).
From the outset, the meeting was marked by a profound moment of prayer, entrusting the work to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Building on this foundational moment, the Presidency resumed its mission, reaffirming CEAMA’s identity as an entity of service, communion, and coordination at the service of the local Amazonian Churches. In this context, synodality was highlighted not only as a principle but as a concrete ecclesial style that guides pastoral action.
Consolidation of the Mission and Pastoral Horizons
One of the main outcomes of the meeting was the final review and approval of the Conference’s mission statement, consolidating its identity and strategic direction. Likewise, the Pastoral Horizons approved at the VI General Assembly were ratified, with a commitment to advance their implementation through processes of deepening, territorial coordination, and continuous monitoring.
The Presidency also took up the recommendations from the previous stage, recognizing the need to give continuity to processes that require a medium- and long-term vision. In this regard, it was agreed to create specific working groups, especially to advance the revision and development of the CEAMA Statutes, as part of institutional strengthening.
Priorities for a Church with an Amazonian Face
In continuity with the path already traveled, the importance of strengthening ongoing actions—reaffirmed in the approved horizons for the life of the Church in the Amazon—was reaffirmed. Among these, intercultural education, inculturated liturgy, and the ministry of women stand out, understood as concrete expressions of a Church incarnated in the Amazonian peoples and cultures.
Projection and Planning
The meeting also included a review of the path taken in 2026 and the start of planning for the year 2027, from a perspective of sustainability and progressive development. As a result, progress was made in drafting the Presidency’s calendar for 2026, defining key moments for the institutional and pastoral life of the Conference.
Held at the San José Seminary of the Archdiocese of Manaus, an emblematic space for formation and ecclesial life in the region, this first meeting stands in direct continuity with the Sixth General Assembly, constituting the first operational step toward putting its guidelines into practice.
A New Era of Communion and Service
In closing, the Presidency expressed renewed enthusiasm and a clear direction: to walk alongside the local Churches, strengthen unity, and faithfully serve the People of God in the Amazon. This new era begins with the conviction that CEAMA is called to be a living instrument of synodality, capable of listening to, articulating, and accompanying the processes emerging from the territories.