Brazilian Bishops Conference asks: "Raise your voice for the Amazon"

Brazilian Bishops Conference Statement

The Brazilian people, their representatives and servers have the greatest responsibility in the defense and preservation of the entire Amazon region. Brazil has significant extension of this precious territory with the rich treasure of fauna, flora and hydro resources. The nonsense fires and other vandalism require criminal now suitable positioning and pressing steps. The environment needs to be addressed in the parameters of integral ecology in line with the teaching of Pope Francis, in his Encyclical Letter Laudato Si 'on the care of the common home.

"Raise your voice for the Amazon" is a movement now indispensable, in contrast to the understandings and wrong choices. The severity of the tragedy of the fires, and other irrational and greedy situations with impacts of large-scale, local and global, require constructively raising awareness and correcting course, is raise your voice.

It's time to speak, choose and act with balance and responsibility, to assume that all the noble mission of protecting the Amazon, respecting the environment, traditional peoples, indigenous, who are brothers. Without such a commitment, all will suffer irreparable losses.

The Synod of Bishops on the Amazon, next October, in loving and prophetic line with the call of Pope Francis, in the fulfillment of missionary work and evangelization, is a sign of hope and a source of important information on the duty to preserve life, from the respect of the environment.

"Raise your voice" to clarify, specify and act different, overcoming the mismatches coming from a long and misguided human intervention, predominantly the " throwaway culture" and extractive mentality. The Amazon is a region of rich biodiversity, multi-ethnic, multicultural and multi-religious, mirror of all humanity, in defense of life, requires structural and personal changes of all human beings, States and the Church.

It is urgent that the governments of the Amazon countries, especially Brazil, take serious steps to save a crucial region in the ecological balance of the planet - the Amazon. Is not time for follies and misfortunes on judgments and speeches. "Raise your voice" in the prophetic voice of Pope Francis to ask to all those in responsible positions in the economic, political and social field: "Let us be guardians of creation."

Let us build together a new social and political order in the light of the values ​​of the Gospel of Jesus, for the good of humanity, Pan-amazônia, the Brazilian society, particularly the poor of this earth. It is essential for us to promote and preserve life in the Amazon and in all other places in Brazil. In lucid dialogues and understanding, which "raise your voice"!

Brasilia-DF, August 23, 2019

Dom Walmor Oliveira de Azevedo
Archbishop of Belo Horizonte - MGPresidente CNBB

Don Jaime Spengler OFM
Archbishop of Porto Alegre - RS1º Vice-President of the CNBB

Bishop Mario Antonio da Silva
Bishop of Roraima - RR2º Vice-President of the CNBB

Bishop Joel Portella Amado

Auxiliary Bishop of S. Sebastiao do Rio de Janeiro – RJ General Secretaty of the CNB