With a call for hope, ecclesial communion, and commitment to the Amazon, Cardinal Pedro Barreto Jimeno, S.J., president of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA), welcomed the participants of the Sixth General Assembly, which is taking place from March 16 to 20, 2026, in Bogotá, at the facilities of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM).
In his opening remarks, the cardinal first expressed his communion with Pope Leo XIV, recalling his recent call for peace and his closeness to the victims of the war in the Middle East. “I renew my closeness and prayers for those who have lost their loved ones,” he recalled, quoting the Holy Father’s message.
An Assembly to Strengthen Synodality in the Amazon
The president of CEAMA emphasized that this Sixth Assembly represents a pivotal moment for consolidating the Church’s synodal process in the Amazon and paving the way for pastoral work in the coming years.
The central objective of the meeting is to lay the groundwork for promoting synodality in the local Churches during the 2026–2030 period, through three fundamental tasks:
- To reflect on and approve the Synodal Pastoral Horizons that will guide the evangelizing mission in the Amazon region.
- To define a new organizational structure and model of governance that will allow for the effective implementation of these guidelines.
- Elect the new CEAMA Presidency for the 2026–2030 period, charged with leading this pastoral process.
More than 90 participants—including bishops, priests, religious sisters and brothers, laypeople, representatives of indigenous peoples, and delegates from ecclesial institutions—are taking part in this space for discernment, prayer, and dialogue.
A journey that continues the dream of the Synod for the Amazon
During his address, Cardinal Barreto recalled the journey undertaken by the Amazonian Church since the 2019 Synod for the Amazon convened by Pope Francis under the theme “Amazonia: New Paths for the Church and for an Integral Ecology”.
In this process, he explained, the Church has learned to listen to the voices of the region and to share the anxieties and hopes of the Amazonian peoples, moving forward in the building of a synodal Church “with an Amazonian face.”
The cardinal also recalled important moments in the recent process, such as the Fifth Assembly of CEAMA held in 2024 in Manaus and the Meeting of Amazonian Bishops held in 2025 in Bogotá, which brought together more than 95 bishops from Amazonian ecclesiastical jurisdictions to strengthen episcopal collegiality and the identity of CEAMA.
The Growth of an Amazonian Ecclesial Process
In his remarks, Barreto also recalled the origins of this ecclesial journey, which began with Pope Francis’s missionary impetus during his visit to Brazil in 2013, when he called for a renewed evangelization in the Amazon.
That call led to the creation in 2014 of the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM), which subsequently spurred the listening process that gave rise to the Synod for the Amazon.
One of the most significant fruits of that process was the creation, in 2020, of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon, initially presided over by the late Cardinal Cláudio Hummes.
Over the years, Barreto noted, this small “seedling” has grown into a tree that brings together various ecclesial initiatives such as REPAM, the Amazonian Network for Intercultural Bilingual Education (REIBA), and the Amazonian University Program (PUAM).
“Something new is sprouting”
Inspired by the Word of God—“I am going to do something new; it is already sprouting. Do you not see it?” (Is 43:19)—the Assembly participants are called to renew their commitment to the mission in the Amazon.
For Cardinal Barreto, the process the Amazonian Church is undergoing is a concrete expression of the People of God walking together, in communion with the Pope and with the local Churches.
In concluding his message, the president of CEAMA recalled the words spoken by Pope Francis during his visit to Puerto Maldonado in 2018, inviting everyone to love and care for the Amazon:
“Love this land; make it your own. Smell it, listen to it, marvel at it. Fall in love with this land… care for it and defend it.”
In this spirit of faith, hope, and commitment, the Sixth General Assembly of CEAMA begins its work with the aim of continuing to build new paths for the Church and for an integral ecology in the Amazon.