The Perils and Promise of the Amazon

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In 2017, when Pope Francis called for a regional synod on the Amazonian region to take place at the Vatican, it surprised many Catholics. The Amazon invokes images of dense jungle pierced by its namesake river. The region is much more than that. Five times the size of Alaska, it has a population of 31 million, of which 3 million are indigenous peoples. It is undergoing a rapid, some say ominous, transition, as small-scale farmers, corporate ranchers and miners clear the land and often come in conflict with local tribes. The region is plagued by widespread environmental damage as well as military strife, drug trade and human trafficking.

Binding the region together is the presence of the church. Its missionaries and pastoral workers, priests and men and women religious, sometimes at great risk, have ministered to the indigenous peoples as well as the settlers and farmers. In the sprawling shantytowns and in the villages, the church struggles to accompany the people of the Amazon.

Catholic News Service over the past several months has reported extensively from the Amazon, helping Catholics to understand both its spectacular diversity and the threats that endanger it. In preparation for the Oct. 6-27 synod, here are some stories highlighting the region.

Articles from Catholic News Service

An overview of the region and the issues likely to be discussed at the synod
More than 300 languages exist in the Amazon basin, but many are spoken by just a handful of people. Missionaries are working to preserve many of them. 
Huge financial interests stand to gain from the development of the region, often at the expense of those who have lived there for generations. 
The story of Sister Dorothy Stang and the heroic witness of Catholic missionaries to protect the rights of the oppressed