Pope: Synod for the Amazon has pastoral, cultural, social and ecological dimensions

"We approach Amazonian communities on tiptoe, respecting their history, their cultures, their lifestyle," he explained, far from the "ideological colonisations that destroy or reduce" the traits of peoples and which today are so commonplace.”

Vatican City (AsiaNews) - The Synod for the Amazon "has four dimensions: The pastoral dimension, the cultural dimension, the social dimension and the ecological dimension. The first, the pastoral dimension, is the essential one, which includes everything,” said Pope Francis this morning in his address to 185 Synod Fathers, right after the prayer that opened the first session of the special assembly of the Synod for the Pan-Amazon Region.

Francis stressed that the Holy Spirit, the "main actor" who "leads us to the proclamation of Jesus Christ will lead the work. This proclamation, we all know, should not be confused with proselytising.”

"We approach Amazonian communities on tiptoe, respecting their history, their cultures, their lifestyle," he explained, far from the "ideological colonisations that destroy or reduce" the characteristics of peoples and which today are so commonplace.”

"We have not come here to invent programmes of social development or preservation, museum-like, of cultures nor [engage in] pastoral actions with the same non-contemplative style by which opposite actions are conducted: deforestation, standardisation, exploitation".

"We come to contemplate, understand, serve the peoples; and we do it along a synodal path, we do it in the synod, not in round tables nor conferences or subsequent discussions; we do it in the synod, because a synod is not a parliament, it is not a call centre, it is not showing who has more power over the media and who has more power in the networks in order to impose an idea or plan."

"The synod is walking together under the inspiration and guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is the main actor of the Synod."

A synod means entering "a process", one that does not mean occupying a "space" in the room but being wrapped, like children, in the "warmth" of the community and the Mother Church, taking care of the fraternal aspect, the intimacy, using sensitivity and prudence in external communication to avoid any misunderstanding.”

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• pope francis
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• amazon
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• proselytising
• holy spirit
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