Holy Father Pope Francis met with the members of the Amazonian community and distributed copies of ‘Laudato si’ which had been translated into the local languages. The Amazonian region is of special interest to His Holiness Pope Francis, considering his 2015 encyclical on care for our common home, Laudato si’, and his decision to hold a Pan-Amazonian synod in 2019 to discuss the challenges the area faces.
As reported by Catholic News Agency, Holy Father Pope Francis remarked that “It is painful for him to see how some people seek to exploit the territory and therefore make Madre de Dios “a nameless land, without children, a barren land.” Further, His Holiness added, “It is painful to see how in this land … so many women are devalued, denigrated and exposed to endless violence. Violence against women cannot be treated as ‘normal’, maintaining a culture of machismo blind to the leading role that women play in our communities.”
His Holiness Pope Francis exhorted the people at Madre de Dios region in the Amazon basin to “Fall in love with this land called ‘Madre de Dios and asked them to commit themselves to it and care for it.
