Amazon Bishops at COP30: Raising the Voice of Amazonian peoples

Cardinal Barreto (white shirt) at COP30, Credit: CEAMA

Source: CEAMA

Within the framework of COP30, the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA) is actively participating in the People's Summit, a space that, far from being a parallel event, has become the community and spiritual heart of the Amazonian cry for life.

Cardinal Pedro Barreto, Archbishop Emeritus of Huancayo, Peru, and president of CEAMA, has highlighted the depth of the moment that is being lived in Belém: "We are living an unparalleled experience. Although the People's Summit might seem like an appendix to COP30, from our faith and our socio-environmental commitment we know that positive results will not come from above, but from below - from the communities, especially the indigenous peoples who inhabit the Amazon."

Surrounded by the immensity of the Amazon River and the force of the Atlantic, the participants of this summit feel - as Cardinal Barreto points out - an invitation to open their gaze and hearts to creation. This unique environment reminds us that the Amazon is not just a territory, but a living subject, essential for the planet's climate balance and home to ancient cultures that guard life with wisdom.

CEAMA, together with REPAM (Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network) and the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM), reaffirms in Belém its commitment to walk alongside the Amazonian communities, raising their voices and making their struggles visible. "The Church has a very special place at COP30 and at this People's Summit," Cardinal Barreto stressed, recalling that the ecclesial mission in the region is to accompany, listen and promote socio-environmental justice with hope.

CEAMA's presence at COP30 expresses a deep conviction: solutions to the climate crisis will be born from dialogue with the peoples who, for centuries, have cared for and defended our Common Home. In Belém, CEAMA's witness continues to inspire the world to walk towards a future where life, in all its forms, is fully respected and protected.

LINKS

https://ceama.org/en/home-2/

https://secretariat.synod.va/content/sinodoamazonico/en/the-pan-amazonian-region/repam.html