The meeting included a moment where a woman sitting in the canoe was lifted up by participants, and concluded with the praying of the Our Father and Hail Mary.
In addition to posters displaying images of missionaries who have worked, and in some cases died in the Amazon, a poster was displayed in the Church of a woman holding a baby while breastfeeding a small animal.
The spirituality gatherings have garnered questions and criticism from some observers, who have asked whether the rituals and displays are consistent with Catholic theology and liturgical practice. But because the ‘Amazonia: Casa Comun’ initiative is loosely organized, there is no identifiable spokesperson to whom questions may be directed.
CNA attempted to identify spokespersons for some individual events, but was unable to locate or identify event organizers willing to speak on behalf of the events with which they were affiliated.
The initiative aims to “convey the diverse institutions in the Amazon region, members of the Church or linked with her, which were coming to Rome,” Mauricio Lopez, secretary general of REPAM, told CNA.
REPAM (the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network) is one of 14 groups on the organizing committee of the Casa Comun initiative, which Lopez said is intended as “a common space and a common calendar” for different groups to host their events, with each group maintaining responsibility and autonomy over its own events.
Lopez said each group “prepared [their event] according to what they do with the particular community they work with. So each case is different and they are sharing that diversity and spirituality from their own context.”
He noted there are around 390 different indigenous communities in the Amazon region “and spirituality is part of every culture,” though he declined to comment on the ways indigenous people are contributing their spirituality to the events.
Subscribe to our daily newsletter
At Catholic News Agency, our team is committed to reporting the truth with courage, integrity, and fidelity to our faith. We provide news about the Church and the world, as seen through the teachings of the Catholic Church. When you subscribe to the CNA UPDATE, we'll send you a daily email with links to the news you need and, occasionally, breaking news.
As part of this free service you may receive occasional offers from us at EWTN News and EWTN. We won't rent or sell your information, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
REPAM, a group backed by the bishops’ conferences in Latin America, describes itself as an advocacy organization for the rights and dignity of indigenous people in the Amazon. The network is involved in operations for the synod assembly.
REPAM’s president, Cardinal Claudio Hummes, holds the position of relator general of the Amazon synod.
Also involved the Casa Comun events is Adveniat, the German bishops’ Latin American relief organization.
Adveniat describes its collaboration with REPAM as a partnership. In 2016, Adveniat provided 3.2 million euros to sponsor projects in the Amazon.
Adveniat and REPAM have also worked together to lobby the German government on issues related to the Amazon.
Another German bishops’ aid organization, Misereor, is also part of the “coordinating committee” of Casa Comun, as is Caritas International. The two groups work together under a 2018-2020 “cooperation contract” approved by the German bishops.
