The bishop sits near the front row and sits on his hands, Listening to tribal leaders Church workers are talking about threats to the forests of the North Peru, part of the Amazon forest. It was 2016, ‘Ladodo C’ a year later, the encyclopedia of Pope Francis About the environment.
When he had to speak, Bishop did not preachAlthough he was in his city Siklao as the host Of a regional meeting. Instead, he reflected what he saw. “This is a very important encyclopedia,” he said. “This refers to something new in terms of the obvious expression of the concern of the Church for all works.”
That bishop, Robert Prevost, now Pope Leo XIV. “It was always More convenient, very close To the people, he said, “He recalled in a telephone interview with the Associated Press Laura Vargas, the secretary of the Peru’s interim council, who helped to organize the event.
“When we proposed it, he had no problem with: I was very interested in the social pastoral“Since then, the Prevost Interpreting Rainforest has strengthened its relationship with medieval environmental networks, such as tribal organizations, such as the protection and rights of the forest in the center of the church’s concerns.
These credentials promoted trust The clergy and faithful of the Amazon regionThe wide part of South America is 48 million people and 6.7 million square kilometers. They consider it a previst in the Peruvian field for nearly two decades in Chicago, This is a pondif that protects the region and fights climate change.
Pope Leo XIV has the practical experience of the navigation by Amazon
Many Catholic They believe that Premostin is experienced As a bishop of Chiklao, the city of 630,000 people in the northern Peru, not far from Amazon, This is one of the main reasons He was elected for that. The practical experience of the pope, who is impoverished and withdrawn from big cities, is also useful for dealing with Amazon and faced with their challenges.
Amazon is a main climate regulatorAs its dense forests absorb carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas, when the atmosphere is released, heats the planet.
But Many parts of Amazon are threatened For a wide range of illegal activities: Farmers who cut down trees to grow cows, gold miners acquire Dragon Roses and local environmental organizations and regions of the destruction of monopherns. The Wildfire and droughtOvarian The climate change has deteriorated and they have attacked Amazonian communities in recent years.
Prevost is well aware of these problemsHe headed the Latin America Bundi Commission and helped him to have contacts with nine countries affected by Amazon. Many of them are in 105 bishops From an organization that openly supports the Panama -Ranging preaching network, the network of the Catholic Church, which is based in the Amazon region.
“I talked to him many times about Amazon and the environment. You don’t have to believe in its importance ”The leader of the network, Cardinal Pedro Barretto, was known to Prevost from the Siklao bishop in 2015.
Brazilian Fryer Paulo Xavier agrees. “Leon will follow Francisco’s steps; we are progressing with the protection of the environment,” Xavier said. “The Holy Spirit acted in favor of us. “
The Xavier, a man of 2 million people on Amazon, received his first cardinal named Francisco in 2022: Now 74 -year -Peraar Leonardo SteinerThe excitement of ‘Ladodo C’.
Steiner, Xavier and Archbishop Guys They have invested so that the encyclopedia can reach the hands of the local people, that is, jumping into small motor -fitted canos in the black river brown water and reaching isolated villages on the boat.
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In November 2024, the ‘Vatican News’ reported Prevost asked for additional action to address Climate change and protect the environment during a seminar in Rome. He cited the attempts by the VaticanInstalling solar panels and electric vehicles.
On the social network site X, Prevost has once again released news on environmental protection. One of them expressed concern over the broadcasts released on April 1, 2017 Carbon dioxide heating the planet during the first decree of President Donald Trump.
In a letter published on social networks, Laura Visuna, the vice president of the Church Conference of the Church of the Carrie people and the Amazon region, said he hoped the Pope would be a friendly country in the fight against climate change. Convention It was created by Francisco To promote the debate between the clergy and the laity by 2020. “From our dear Amazon, we plead with you Be our partner in the most sacred security for us; Life, Earth and Rights, “Written by Visuna.
Aboriginal people Vishwina’s Carry is generally considered to be the main protectors of Amazon, and for many years they are forced to leave their land due to the deforestation, deforestation and famine It took place in 2023 of Yanomami’s lands in Northern Brazil.
AdvertisementSpanish Luis Ventura, Executive Secretary of the Brazilian Missionary Indigenous Council Pray for the new Pope to keep the eyes near AmazonSpecial attention is paid to tribal communities. Established in 1972, the congregation rarely had to meet the Pope until Francisco climbed in 2013. Its members expect that Leon will not change it. “Xiv lion He has a huge impact on Amazon, “Ventura said.” His life was always with those in Peru, and it allows us I think the church will enter the territory. “
‘We need it in the police’
Francisco was very interested in Amazon During his phonfigade. After four years of Ladodo, he was the host of Amazon Synodin, which “New paths for the church And an integrated ecology. “
Rose BertoldoOne of the secretaries of the Archbishop of Manas, He said he had hopes in the future of the region Bajo Leone, which is based on the interest of Francisco. In November, the Amazon city of Belem, called the COP 30, is known as the UN. During the Climate Summit, he said he would have the opportunity to visit Brazil with the largest Catholics in the world.
Advertisement“We know that the emergency and challenges on Amazon are high Due to the global political environment of the division. We need it in the police, ”said Bertoldo. Irish priest Peter Hughes, spent most of his life PeruShortly after arriving at Andian Nation in 1985, he met Prevost. They became friends quickly and saw when they were in Lima, the capital of Siklao.
“At the time, (Premost) was concerned about Extraction on Amazon Hughes said the result of it for the poor, “Hughes refers to the new pope.” Now this is the most complex world, the urgency is clear. “
