The National Catholic Reporter carries an article on continued Church advocacy for the Amazon, at the link below - 'Church's efforts to protect Amazon vital, panelists say' The article speaks of a number of things, including -
Included in my blog is a video-sung collaboration of 500 children over 50 countries called 'Anthem for the Amazon'. The lyrics and video tell a story, and there is much we can learn from the special wisdom of children. Pope Francis recently visited Peru and included is a link to his Address to Indigenous People of Amazonia at Coliseo Regional Madre de Dios (Puerto Maldonado) 19 January 2018. The Blog title is my rhetorical question - 'Whose Amazon? Whose Lungs of Creation? I invite you to consider, in the spirit of 'Laudato Si'. Please read National Catholic Reporter article first, to have in context. Thank you. Fr Gerry * additional links are included for your information at the end of the blog Catholic Social Ministry Gathering 2018 (Washington, D.C.) & Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network (REPAM)
Kanamari Tribe Indigenous Leader Korá "I am the forest, "I am here today because without it, the world doesn't live." Korá, the indigenous leader, sang of the wisdom of the elements of the air and water. He spoke about his government for exploiting the land's riches at the expense of farmers and indigenous peoples. "Land is being confiscated, rivers are drying up and the local people can no longer hold some of their traditional feasts because there are no fish", he said. It took Korá 10 days to travel from his remote village to the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering, in Washington, D.C. He had walked, taken canoe, boat, car and plane. Anthem for the Amazon |
"Anthem for the Amazon" is a collaboration to unite the world in a compelling call to action to save the world’s greatest rainforest through the universal language of music. 500 children from 50 different countries around the world came together to sing this global anthem and stand up for the Amazon rainforest. We hope you’ll sing along with them." More on the website of Amazon Aid | |
Quote from paragraph 38
We know how important these are for the entire earth and for the future of humanity. The ecosystems of tropical forests possess an enormously complex biodiversity which is almost impossible to appreciate fully, yet when these forests are burned down or levelled for purposes of cultivation, within the space of a few years countless species are lost and the areas frequently become arid wastelands." - Pope Francis
Additional links are included for your information
Thank you for bringing our focus to the Amazon and it's Indigenous peoples, to help us to not only hear but listen and feel in our hearts the "cry of the earth and the poor" that affects us all. We are asked by Pope Francis to not turn away..or be complicit in doing so! To ask: "Where is your brother?"and that "loss of culture[can be as serious as the terrible] loss of plant or animals".To not exploit the Amazon [and by inference our own lands] for profit and greed at the expense of the animals,plants and people that live there. To listen to the wisdom of our Elders and that Education is a key to building bridges! Thank you for educating us and hopefully converting our aching hearts into action! Our Great Barrier reef, the massive loss of biodiversity here in Australia and the need to listen with our hearts to our own Indigenous peoples should be of primary importance
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