Vatican City, Feb 12, 2020 / 13:30 pm
Pope Francis promulgated on Wednesday a new apostolic exhortation, or letter of encouragement, about the Church in the Amazon region. The document is a follow-up to a synod, or meeting, of bishops convened last year to discuss the Church in the region.
Here are five things to know about Querida Amazonia:
The Eucharist is the heart of the document.
Pope Francis spends much of the document talking about the needs of the Church in the Amazon region, where at least 20 million people live, across 8 countries. But the most important need of the Church, Pope Francis says, "is the celebration of the Eucharist because it 'makes the Church.'