From August 17 to 20, 2025, the Colombian capital will be the meeting point for pastors from all over the Amazon region, convened by the Ecclesial Conference of the Amazon (CEAMA)to reflect, discern, and plan together paths of communion and mission. Among the voices that are being prepared with special enthusiasm is that of Monsignor Karel Choennie, Bishop of the Diocese of Paramaribo, Suriname.
“It will be the first time we meet as bishops of the Amazon to address, from a single forum, the problems we face,” he affirms with hope. His vision transcends borders and reminds us that “everything is connected to everything and everyone to everyone”; therefore, he considers it urgent. break isolation and unite hands, hearts and minds to understand the broader picture facing this vital region for the planet.
One of his deepest desires is that this meeting break down language barriers that still separate the Amazonian countries, thus allowing a common understanding to be builthopes and dreams of indigenous peoplesFor him, these peoples, who have lived for centuries in harmony with nature, offer us an invaluable lesson: preserving their cultures and, at the same time, accompanying them with the proclamation of the Gospel.
Monsignor Choennie acknowledges that his inspiration comes from the words and gestures of Pope Francis, particularly from the teachings of Laudato Sí ‘ and Dear Amazon, documents that invite a paradigm shift in the relationship between humanity and the Common Home.
“I look forward to a fraternal meeting, with an optimistic spirit about the future of the preservation of biodiversity and the diverse Amazonian cultures,” he says, convinced that the Church has the mission of building bridges between cultures, languages and territories, and to guard, together with the Amazonian peoples, the precious gift of life.
The expectation is that this meeting will not only be a dialogue between bishops, but a prophetic sign of unity for the entire Amazon.
