St. Columban Mission for Justice, Peace and EcologyHong Kong, October 2, 2019 - Columban missionaries around the world will be praying for the success of the Pan Amazonian Synod. Our baptismal commitment to care for planet earth - our common home, and dialogue with people of other faith traditions and spiritual practices, also draws us into solidarity with the synodal process.
Present in Latin America since 1952, Columban missionaries have seen irresponsible approaches to mining, drilling for petroleum and natural gas, and land clearing for agriculture or harvesting timber that destroys and continues to threaten the lives of plants, animals and humans. We join millions around the world in condemning this arrogant and irresponsible attempt to thwart humanity's commitment of care for planet earth, our common home.
As an international missionary Society, we see the Amazonian web of life extending to the whole world. The Amazonian cry for justice, healing and peace is global and so animates our work in Asia, Oceania, Europe, and the Americas. We hope that Amazon Synod becomes a model for dialogue in other parts of the world in places where biomes are especially fragile.
We ask God to bless the participants of the Synod and the Pan Amazonian communities they represent. May the discernment of the Synod help all people of goodwill identify with the hope that creation itself might be set free from slavery to corruption and share in the glorious freedom of the children of God (cf.Rom 8, 18-27).
For more about Columban engagement with the Amazon Synod, our series of articles can be found here: https://columbancenter.org/Synod-on-Amazon-Model-for-World
Columban Fr. Peter Hughes will be in attendance as a REPAM representative.
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For media inquiries contact Amy Woolam Echeverria, Columban International Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Coordinator: Whatsapp: 1-301-503-9222 / amywe@columban.org
For a PDF of this statement can be found here: https://columbancenter.org/Synod-statement.pdf
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