Pope Leo’s video message to those participating in the sixth assembly
of the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA)
[Bogotá, March 16-20, 2026]
Bblical Text to Inspire your Reflections
“I am doing a new thing; it is sprouting up now. Do you not see it?” (Isaiah 43:19).
The peace of the Lord be with you!
Dear pastors, consecrated men and women, and lay faithful gathered in Bogotá for the Sixth Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon, I joyfully address you all.
You are experiencing a special time of listening to the Holy Spirit to discern the path of communities in that region.
As part of your preparation, which included prayer, you wanted to share with me the steps you have taken and the challenges you are facing.
You have shared with me the sufferings and hopes of the region’s inhabitants, as well as the increasing deterioration of its natural environment.
I would like to express my solidarity with all those affected by this situation.
For this reason, I am pleased that the Assembly’s objectives include formulating Synodal Pastoral Horizons.
This could be a useful instrument for proclaiming “a God who infinitely loves every human being and has fully manifested this love in Christ.” (Francis, Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation, Querida Amazonia, n. 64).
I know that you will also proceed with electing the president for the 2026-2030 term.
Among other tasks, the president will encourage the implementation of the Synod for the Amazon and prepare the contributions of his experience for the Ecclesial Assembly in Rome in 2028.
Rest assured that I am supporting you with my prayers during this important step.
In your desire to forge new paths for the Church’s mission in this beloved land, you have selected a biblical text to inspire your reflections. “I am doing a new thing; it is sprouting up now. Do you not see it?” (Isaiah 43:19). Something new is indeed being born. It is still fragile but already in place.
Perhaps it is imperceptible, but like the seed of the Shihuahuaco tree—the “giant of the jungle”—it grows slowly yet becomes a colossus capable of living more than a thousand years.
It grows to be tens of meters high with thick foliage and becomes a safe refuge for eagles, toucans, macaws, marmosets, sakis, and squirrels, transforming into an ecosystem of its own.
Dear Brothers
This can help us understand what the Church desires:
To be a sign of unity in diversity and a safe refuge that generates and protects life.
The hopeful and promising future announced by the prophet Isaiah is realized in the Book of Revelation, which speaks of a new heaven and a new earth. God “makes all things new”
(Revelations 21:5 – he who sat upon the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” He also said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true”).
Therefore, I invite you to work with the trust of a faith rooted in Christ, who tells us, “I have loved you” (Revelations 3:9 – Behold, I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and learn that I have loved you).
It is precisely this divine-human love of Jesus that transforms us into new people.
Contemplating this love in prayer sends us forth to respond with generosity and courage in mission.
In this sense, if we want to belong to Christ — the “giant of the forest” and “begotten before all creation” (Col 1:15 – He is the image of the invisible God, the first-born[a] of all creation) — then we must be the “Church of the Beatitudes,” a church that embraces the marginalized and walks alongside the poor” (Apostolic Exhortation, Dilexi te, n. 21).
The current context certainly demands an adequate response to the many social, environmental, cultural, and ecclesial challenges that persist in the Amazon and are threatened by situations of abuse and exploitation.
The Flower of the Passion, which you have chosen as the symbol of the Assembly, represents the prophetic role of the Church and all her members, each according to their own mission.
This mission includes proclaiming the kerygma and new life in Christ, accompanying those who suffer, protecting creation, and respecting life in all its forms, especially human life
Another objectives of the Ecclesial Conference, which is celebrating its fifth anniversary, is to outline a Church with an “Amazonian face”, as envisioned by the Synod of Bishops in the Special Assembly for the Pan-Amazon Region.
They carry out this task with the conviction that “through the inculturation of the faith, the Church is enriched with new expressions and values, manifesting and celebrating the mystery of Christ ever more effectively. This unites faith more closely to life, contributing to a fuller catholicity—not only geographically, but also culturally.” (Aparecida Document, no. 479).
Dear brothers and sisters,
Inculturation is a difficult but necessary journey.
“We must courageously accept the newness of the Spirit, who can always create something new with the inexhaustible treasure of Jesus Christ” (Querida Amazonia, n. 69).
Therefore, I encourage you, pastors and faithful alike, to continue strengthening your identity as missionary disciples in the Amazon.
Continue sowing in the furrow watered by the blood of the many men and women who came before you. United with Christ’s passion, they became the root of a “giant tree” growing in the Amazon.
I cordially impart my Apostolic Blessing to you as I entrust the fruits of this Ecclesial Assembly to the special intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Creator.
May the blessings of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit descend upon you and remain with you always. Amen.
