VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Proposals made by the small groups at the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon not only involved theological matters but also the Catholic Church’s role in helping indigenous communities confront issues such as ecology, violence and migration.
The Church must continue to reaffirm the rights of indigenous people to their “land, culture, language, history, identity and spirituality” as well as “defend their rights to prior, free and informed consent to projects in their territories,” the Italian-A group said in its report.
“Indigenous people, people of African descent, fishermen, migrants and other traditional communities in the Amazon are threatened like never before and are often divided or strategically weakened by the seductions of money and power,” the group said.
The 12 small-group reports, published by the Vatican Oct. 18, were the result of reflections in groups organized by language; each group summarized its members’ conclusions and offered proposals for the whole synod.
Several groups made proposals that call on the Church to take a more active role in protecting the environment, both in awakening the public conscience through “ecological conversion” as well as through practical and concrete measures.
“An ecological conversion to a sober life is indispensable, which implies changes in mentality, in lifestyle, in modes of production, in practices of accumulation, consumption and waste. We already know that ‘later, it will be too late!’” the Portuguese-B group said.
The Portuguese-C group said that to be “visible and credible witnesses of ecological conversion” means that the Church must also be ecologically conscientious in practical actions such as recycling and eliminating the use of plastic.
The Spanish-E group highlighted the importance of ensuring that the “fruits of the Amazonian synod become a reality” and called for the establishment of a “postsynod ecclesial organization” under the auspices of the Latin American bishops’ council, also known as CELAM for its acronym in Spanish.
This organization, the group said, will lead the charge in “new ways of evangelization and integral ecology” in the region.
Another issue affecting indigenous populations in the Amazon is violence, particularly against women and young people, who “suffer the most due to a ‘macho’ culture, that includes authoritarian behavior and clericalism, as well as abuses and trafficking,” the Italian-A group said.
The Spanish-B group said that the increase in violence against “women and our sister, ‘mother Earth,’ requires special attention.” The group also expressed its concerns “about a possible relationship between violence against women and violence against the land.”
Such violence, the group said, “demands a greater prophetic denunciation by the Church” as well as “a culture of dialogue and encounter” that works for a peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Violence and the abuse of poor or vulnerable people is seen particularly among migrants, especially young migrants who fall for the “deceitful enchantment of urbanization and propaganda,” one group said.
“Many of them are trapped by drug trafficking and organized crime and see their human rights systematically disrespected,” the group identified as Spanish-C said. “Indigenous people, women and children are the ones who suffer the worst and most heartbreaking experiences of abuse.”
The Spanish-D group also noted that migration, particularly among indigenous people, has not only contributed to the “disintegration of the family,” but also “the loss of cultural identity, social marginalization, rejection by people in cities where they arrive as foreigners; they are exploited and fall into violent or criminal organizations, prostitution, etc.”
The group proposed that local churches work with their respective governments to establish and develop projects aimed at addressing “the needs of the communities.”
“Both indigenous and rural territories, as well as cities, suffer a permanent pressure to which we must be attentive and ready to act as a church – especially at the borders –to define the type of service we can give,” the group said
Creating an Amazonian-rite liturgy and new ministries for laypeople, including the ordination of women deacons, are some of the recurring proposals made by small groups at the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon.
Such proposals, one group said, would increase as well as transform the Catholic Church’s presence in the Amazon, turning it from one of transience to one of permanence.
The group identified as Spanish-B noted differences of opinion. Some synod members, it said, proposed asking the pope for “the possibility of conferring the priesthood on married men in the Amazon on an exceptional basis, under specific circumstances and for certain specific peoples, clearly establishing the reasons that justify it.”
However, the report continued, other members felt the topic should be dealt with in-depth at a synod specifically on the topic.
Most of the groups cited the presence of women as a “decisive factor in the life and mission of the Church in the Amazon,” and one that must be recognized officially. Four of the groups explicitly called for the ordination of women deacons and three others said the Church should study the possibility.
Recalling that the Second Vatican Council restored the permanent diaconate for men because “it was good and valuable to the Church, we believe that the same argument is valid to create a diaconate for women in the church in the Amazon,” the Portuguese-B group said.
The Portuguese-C group, however, said the ordination of women deacons and of married “viri probati,” or men of proven virtue, “requires further development and study.”
One Italian group proposed that new, official ministries – such as “community coordinator” – be created for both men and women in line with St. Paul VI’s document on ministries, “Ministeria Quaedam” (“Some Ministries”).
The document, which was promulgated in 1972, reordered what were known as “minor orders” in the Catholic Church. The document opened the way for laypeople to be installed officially as lectors and acolytes, and it called for the institution of new ministries that might meet “modern needs.”
While some groups supported a proposal to confer priestly ordination on older married men so that more remote communities can have access to the sacraments, others expressed reservations or were divided on the issue.
One Italian group report said the idea of ordaining married men “could diminish the value of celibacy” or lessen the commitment of priests giving all for the mission. That group also suggested that a “universal synod” be held on the topic in order to receive the opinion of the whole Church.
It is important to maintain the Church’s missionary mandate and its zeal for promoting and strengthening vocations, the group added, urging bishops’ conferences around the world to support projects in the Amazon and send missionaries there, “even those who currently serve as priests in the north.”
Several working groups also supported the creation of an Amazonian-rite liturgy, which would incorporate symbols and gestures familiar to indigenous people while maintaining the essential elements of the Eucharist.
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