The Amazon rainforest is the world’s largest and most biodiverse tropical rainforest, covering an area larger than the continental United States. It houses one-third of the Earth’s plant and animal species and produces one-fifth of all its fresh water.  Like all rainforests, it helps regulate the global climate and is vital to maintaining the earth’s fragile balance. Yet at the current rates of deforestation (global deforestation contributes 20-25 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions) nearly 50 percent of the Amazon could be lost or severely degraded by the year 2020, and the vast majority will no longer be in a pristine state.

The Amazon is also home to nearly 400 distinct indigenous peoples who depend on the rainforest for their physical and cultural survival. Because we believe that all life is sacred, it is essential that we take action to protect the Amazon and its people.  We may be the last generation that has a chance to protect this precious gem of our world’s cultural and ecological heritage – an irreplaceable source of life and inspiration.  
For a beautiful reminder of this global treasure watch this video from Amazon Watch.  (5 minutes) 

Fr. Joachim Rego, general superior of the Passionist congregation sent out Christmas letter to the Passionist family. His entire message is about the "Pact of the Catacombs for the Common Home." This is perhaps one of the most relevant and inspiring documents the church has produced in many years. The bishops were inspired by the style of another Catacombs Pact (The Pact for a Servant and Poor Church) signed before the Second Vatican Council in 1965.
 
Here's how Fr. Joachim describes the context: "Recently I attended the Union of Superiors General conference held here in Rome which was attended by almost 150 leaders of male religious orders and congregations. We also had the opportunity to meet and dialogue with Pope Francis. At the end of the final Mass of the conference, the leaders were invited to sign the Pact of the Catacombs for the Common Home For a Church with an Amazonian face, poor and servant, prophetic and Samaritan. This was a Pact signed on 20 October 2019 in the Roman Catacombs of Santa Domitilla by 40 Bishops attending the Amazon Synod about how they wanted to lead their particular churches in the Amazon region."
 
 Fr Joachim's full statement is available here   |   Pacto en Español

Foto: Ghuillerme Cavalli

Following up Fr. Joachim's statement - Calls to Action 
http://mailchi.mp/7948c8f1b995/december2019newsletter​

We continue our focus on the effects the extraction of natural resources, such as oil, gas, and minerals.  Historically this can be a huge money maker for commercial investment.  For those who live in the areas of extraction, it can also be deadly and exploitative, often resulting in extreme poverty and human rights abuses.  Extraction provides oppressive governments a huge source of income, preserving their power, while the exploited lands Lands can become polluted and uninhabitable.

As the Amazon Synod meets to discuss a variety of ecological issues and faith connections, the Maryknoll office of Global Concern has summarized them nicely with this article.  The fires burning in the Amazon give new urgency to these conversations as so many of the issues facing the region (and the world) are related to extractive industries.
Also see this story from a Spanish language website with the perspective of people most effected by mining and fires in the rain forests.  http://iglesiasymineria.org/  (as needed, use your browser's "translate" when you open the webpage)