The beloved Amazon region stands before the world in all its splendour, its drama and its mystery. God granted us the grace of focusing on that region during the Synod held in Rome from 6-27 October last, which concluded by
issuing its Final Document, The Amazon: New Paths for  the Church and for an Integral Ecology.
 

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 The Amazon region ought to be a place of social dialogue, especially
between the various original peoples, for the sake of developing forms of
fellowship and joint struggle. The rest of us are called to participate as “guests”
and to seek out with great respect paths of encounter that can enrich the Amazon
region. If we wish to dialogue, we should do this in the first place with the poor.
They are not just another party to be won over, or merely another individual
seated at a table of equals. They are our principal dialogue partners, those from
whom we have the most to learn, to whom we need to listen out of a duty of
justice, and from whom we must ask permission before presenting our proposals.
Their words, their hopes and their fears should be the most authoritative voice at
any table of dialogue on the Amazon region. And the great question is: “What is
their idea of ‘good living’ for themselves and for those who will come after them?”