Amazonia, a land of great numbers, 7 million km2 of which about 65% in Brazil, contains 34% of primary forests and provides habitat to 30% of the world's flora and fauna; but also, a land where 33 million people live, some of whom are still waiting to receive the first Christian message. For these reasons, it has been in the heart of the Popes for many years so much so that already St. John Paul II, addressing the indigenous peoples in a speech held in Manaus in 1980, expressed his concern for this land; attention that was kept alive also during the Pontificate of Benedict XVI and that led Pope Francis, after the indications he had already expressed in the encyclical "Laudato sii", to convoke a special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Panamazon region to be held in 2019. And in anticipation of this event relevant to the whole Church; on Thursday 22nd February, we hosted Fr. Adelson Araújo dos Santos SJ, who was a missionary in Amazonia and Superior of the Jesuits in that region. In the meeting, which he had with us, he was able to tell us about his experience by describing the challenges that the Church is facing in proclaiming the Good News in this part of the planet, with particular reference to the presence of indigenous tribes who have never been evangelized, to the challenge posed by the need to protect the environment in the light of the Gospel message. We thank Father Adelson for his availability and we hope with him that the Assembly scheduled for October 2019, can contribute to the spread of the Gospel in this splendid land and contribute to preserving its beauty.
