Address by Mons. Claudio Hummes, General Rapporteur, on the first day of the Synod

Original post by Pan- Amazon Synod

The theme of the Synod, which we are now beginning, is: “Amazon: New ways for the Church and for an integral ecology .“The theme resonates with the great pastoral lines characteristic of Pope Francis. Define new paths. From the beginning of his papal ministry, Francis underlines the need for the Church to walk. She cannot sit at home taking care of herself surrounded by protective walls. Much less, looking back with some nostalgia from times past. It needs to open its doors, tear down surrounding walls and build bridges, go out and set its course in history, in the present times of changing times, always walking close to everyone, especially those who live in the peripheries of humanity. Church “outgoing”. Why leave? To turn on lights and warm hearts to help people, communities, countries and global humanity find meaning in life and history.

This walk makes her faithful to the true tradition. One thing is the traditionalism that is stuck in the past, another is the true tradition that is the living history of the Church, in which each generation, welcoming what is given to it by previous generations as understanding and living the faith in Jesus Christ, enriches this tradition with their own living and understanding of this same faith in Jesus Christ in the present time.

These lights: the proclamation of Jesus Christ and the tireless practice of mercy in the living tradition of the Church indicate the way forward in an inclusive walk that invites, welcomes and encourages all without exception to walk together as friends and as brothers, respecting our differences, towards the future.

“New ways”. New. Do not be afraid of the new. In the 2013 Pentecost homily, Pope Francis stated: “The news always causes a little fear, because we feel safer if we have everything under control, if we are building, programming, designing our lives according to our schemes, our security, our tastes. … We are afraid that God will lead us on new paths, lead us out of our often limited, closed, selfish horizon to open ourselves to our horizons. But in every history of salvation, when God reveals Himself, it brings news – God always brings news – it transforms and asks to trust in Him. ” In Evangelii Gaudium (n. 11) , the Pope shows Jesus Christ as “the everlasting newness.” He is always the new. He is always the same, the new, “yesterday, today and forever” (Heb 13.8) the new. Therefore, the Church prays: “Send your Spirit, Lord, and everything will be created and you will renew the face of the earth.” So let’s not be afraid of the new. Let us not be afraid of Christ the new. This synod looks for new ways.

In his address to Brazilian bishops during the World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro in 2013, speaking of the Amazon as a “litmus test, test bench for the Brazilian Church and society”, the Pope proposes “to relaunch [there in the Amazon] the work of the Church ”,“ consolidating the Amazonian face of the Church ”and“ forming indigenous clergy ”, adding:“ On this, please, I ask you to be brave, to have boldness ”. This necessarily brings us to the history of the Church in the region. Since the beginning of the colonization of the Amazon, Catholic missionaries have been there, either to assist the colonizers or to evangelize the indigenous people at the time. Thus began the evangelizing mission of the Church in the region. Between lights and shadows – but certainly with prevalence of lights – subsequent generations of missionaries, Mainly from religious Orders and Congregations, but also from diocesan priests and lay people – especially women – they sought to bring Jesus Christ to the peoples of the territory and to form Catholic communities. It is fair to remember, acknowledge and extol, at this synod, the heroic – and often martyr – history of all past missionaries and those of today in Pan-Amazon. Alongside the missionaries, there have also always been numerous lay and indigenous leaders who have given heroic witness and have often been and still are murdered. It should also be borne in mind that the missionary church of Amazonia has stood out through its history – and still stands out today – with great and fundamental services for the local population in the area of ​​schooling, health, fighting poverty and violating human rights. On the other hand, the history of the Church in Pan-Amazonia shows that there has always been a great lack of material resources and missionaries for the full development of communities, especially the almost total absence of the Eucharist and other sacraments essential for daily Christian living.

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