Bishop John Arnold, lead Catholic Bishop for the Environment in England and Wales said: “We echo the deep concern of the Latin American Bishops in their statement yesterday about the seriousness of this tragedy, which is not only of local impact, nor regional, but of planetary proportions.”
Prophetically, Pope Francis has written in preparation for the upcoming Synod on the Amazon “In the Amazon rainforest, which is of vital importance for the planet, a deep crisis has been triggered by prolonged human intervention, in which a “culture of waste” (LS 16) and an extractivist mentality prevail. The Amazon is a region with rich biodiversity; it is multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, and multi-religious; it is a mirror of all humanity which, in defense of life, requires structural and personal changes by all human beings, by nations, and by the Church.”
We join our voice with theirs to urge the governments of the Amazon countries, especially Brazil and Bolivia, the United Nations and the international community to take serious measures to save the lungs of the world. What happens to the Amazon is not just a local issue but of global reach. If the Amazon suffers, the world suffers.”
