On the eve of the highly anticipated voting on the final document of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazonian Region, Bishop Evaristo Pascoal Spengler, O.F.M., of Marajó, Brazil, chose to focus his remarks at the daily Vatican press briefing on Oct. 25 on the synod’s discernment of an “official ministry” for women.
Latin America
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
Cardinal Ambongo: The Congo faces similar problems to the ones we see in the Amazon
The cardinal expects the synod’s final document to highlight the different levels of “responsibility towards Mother Earth, towards the natural environment, and on this we are all in agreement. What is said of Amazonia is also true of the Congo basin.”
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Bolivian bishops urge transparency amid signs of electoral fraud
Bolivia’s bishops have called on electoral officials to “make transparent” the vote-counting process as protesters rioted in the South American country, alleging fraud in the presidential election.
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Chileans must address root causes of violent protests, bishops say
Demonstrations in Chile came after the government announced a 10% increase in electricity rates and a transit fare hike equivalent to about $0.04.
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
How the Amazon synod is connected to North American corporations
The connection between the Amazon region and the church in the United States runs deeper than it might first appear.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
What the Catholic Church is doing to protect the Amazon in Bolsonaro’s Brazil
Rainforests are not the only things under threat in the Amazon region. There has also been an uptick in violence against native peoples: land invasions, illegal exploitation of natural resources and damage caused by invaders of indigenous lands went from 96 in 2017 to 109 in 2018.
Posted inFaith, GoodNews
Venezuelan priest becomes social media sensation with Scripture video series
Capuchin Franciscan Father Luis Antonio Salazar is breaking with traditional ways of preaching and bringing the Gospel to thousands of cellphone users each week through an Instagram video series called “Vivir el Evangelio,” or “Living the Gospel.”
Posted inFaith, News
Synod groups propose an Amazonian rite and new ministries for women
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.
Posted inFaith, Features
What the Day of the Dead can teach us about life
Darkness and light are but one, the psalmist tells us. Our lives are filled with both. Sugar and skulls. Flowers and dust. Love and loss. You cannot embrace one without allowing the other.
Posted inFaith, Vatican Dispatch
The Amazon synod is halfway over. Here’s what we know so far.
As the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon reaches its halfway point, leaders of indigenous communities are speaking with passion about what is at stake for their communities and their hopes for this synod.