The Amazonian synod, the Amazon and the church

This article highlights the peculiarities of an Amazon Synod and its possible effects on the Catholic Church, both locally and globally as well as on the world's greatest region of tropical forest. Not only does the Amazon have a stunningly rich biodiversity but it also has a wide cultural diversity ranging from original peoples, present in the region for thousands of years before the arrival of Europeans, to today's complex urban and rural demographic structures. The study describes the preliminary processes leading up to the Synod, raises some of the contemporary challenges for the Amazon, and suggests some characteristics for a church with an Amazon face that could have influence on the Universal Church.