The recently published Apostolic Exhortation by Pope Francis, at surface value, focuses almost exclusively on the environment. Martin van Nierop highlights some of the passages that most clearly communicate the spirit of Querida Amazonia, but leaves us with the warning that any option for the environment is also an economic and social challenge. Ultimately, he reminds us that Pope Francis’ appeals cannot reside solely on paper, but must take shape in our hearts and lives.

Pope Francis has written the Apostolic Exhortation, Querida Amazonia, after the Synod on the Amazon in 2019. What has this document to say about the environment?

Given that Pope Francis has structured this document in the context of four dreams that inspire him when reflecting on the Amazon, and that one of these is “An Ecological Dream” [paragraphs 41-60], the document clearly has a fair amount to say about environmental issues.

While this Apostolic Exhortation is focused on the Amazon region, the message is applicable to everyone, everywhere, as Pope Francis reminds us: “Yet I am addressing the present Exhortation to the whole world [5].

Addressing issues holistically

The key message, as was the case in Laudato si’, is that environmental issues can only be addressed successfully when done so holistically. This means that social and cultural aspects have to be addressed simultaneously with the ecological issues.

It also means that not addressing social and cultural issues will result in environmental degradation.

An ongoing global concern

However, while the health of the Amazonian ecology is important for the people in that region, especially the indigenous people, the Amazonian ecology is also of concern globally:

Destruction of the Amazon rain forest is worsening the rate and impact of the climate change we are experiencing. Climate change is a global issue with local impacts. Africa is particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. We cannot be blind to the ecological damage being done to the tropical rain forests, both in the Amazon and on our own continent.

Pope Francis indicates that solutions lie, among others, in two constructs:

And again:

Pope Francis has again presented us with a challenge that inspires us to holistically care for our common home.

Are we listening?

However, it saddens me that five years after Laudato si’, we are still taking about the same ecological issues. Are we listening? On the face of it there has been no movement. People have even been lamenting the lack of movement on some of the other issues that the Synod spoke about, for example, the ordination of married men and women.

For me the most significant part of Querida Amazonia was in the introduction. The Pope said that the exportation is the vehicle to ” officially present the Final Document, which sets forth the conclusions of the Synod” [3].

Does this mean the Pope means insert the whole of the Final Document from the Synod here? Do the suggestions for changes in the ordination of married men (see paragraph 111 of the Synod Final Document) and women in this document carry the same weight as if it had appeared in the Apostolic Exhortation? Let’s all heed the words of the Pope and do as he did:

Now I will go away and listen and read as the Pope states: