On February 12, 2020, Pope Francis’ post-synodal Apostolic Exhortation “Querida Amazonía” >>> was released at the Vatican, in the John Paull II Hall of the Holy See Press Office.
The Exhortation results from the Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon Region. That Assembly was conducted on October 6-27, 2019, in Rome, on the theme: “Amazonia: New Paths for the Church and for Integral Ecology.”
We may ask ourselves: to what extent does this document, “Querida Amazona”, concern the life of the Friars Minor Conventual, that is, our confreres in the Amazon? Do we live and work there? The answer to that is always: yes!
It is worth mentioning our missionaries who work in the Brazilian part of the Amazon, namely, Manaus, Tefé and Juruá (cf. https://ofmconv.net/en/amazzonia-visita-fraterna/ – https://ofmconv.net/en/roma-sulle-banchine-del-tevere/).
There are also some friars who live and work in other countries that share part of the Amazon forest, such as Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Venezuela.
If anyone reading the Exhortation feels the inspiration to go on a mission, he should tell his Minister Provincial or Custos, and know that his confreres in Brazil are ready to welcome him!
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