Prioritizing rapprochement with indigenous peoples
Joaquim Magalhães de Castro
Strengthening intercultural dialogue “towards a common path”, inspired by the African spirit of ‘monifue’ – that is, ‘good living’ – always seeking a Church closer to the reality of indigenous peoples, this is how the assumptions of the representatives of the indigenous ethnic groups of the Amazon can be defined, who met with the Consolata Missionaries (IMC) at the First Assembly of Native Peoples that recently took place in Peru, more specifically in the city of Angoteros.
The IMC religious immediately see these assumptions as a “real challenge”, which is, above all, addressed to the local Churches, which from now on must “reflect daily and concretely” on the ideal ways “to be able to walk alongside these people, here and now”. According to a statement issued by the Consolata Missionaries, representatives of six missions of the Apostolic Vicariate of San José del Amazonas – which have been in direct contact with indigenous peoples for several decades – were able to share concerns and common experiences regarding the next “concrete steps towards an option that prefers indigenous peoples”, who have historically been unbalanced, as is well known.
“We are aware that this requires a conversion in forms, methods, rhythms, language and spirituality,” they recalled, in this regard.
In the Peruvian Amazon, there are 51 indigenous peoples, nine of whom are in the Vicariate of San José del Amazonas; a unique Church that has “walked and navigated” alongside indigenous peoples over all these years.
In the language of indigenous peoples, the concept “monifue” means abundance and this first assembly represents precisely that: the harvest of this great chagra (field) planted in diversity and which at no time represented a threat, but rather a promise. It was therefore very significant to see the Kichwa of Ecuador and the Kichwa of Peru together and united; the Murui of Colombia and the Murui-Uitoto of Peru. And this, despite the fact that the national states have done nothing to unite these tribes, quite the opposite. This is also an appeal to the Churches to walk together, to encounter and recognize one another.
“In the Amazon, it is not about being, but about knowing how to be,” says Father José Fernando Flórez Arias, IMC, missionary in the Vicariate of San José del Amazonas. He adds: “The territory needs joyful missionaries, open to listening, to the word, to the mystery of salvation”.
Held in October 2019, the Synod for the Amazon proposed new ways of relating between the Catholic Church and this territory, its cultures and ancestral life. A year earlier (January 2018), in Puerto Maldonado, Pope Francis had told the indigenous peoples: “Help your missionaries to become one with you”.
In the meantime, the new website of the Amazonian Centre for Anthropology and Practical Application is now up and running under the domain www.queridaamazonia.pe. This digital information portal represents Peru in the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network REPAM and brings together the eight Vicariates of the Peruvian Amazon in a single space where they can share projects, news and initiatives. This website was created with the aim of giving greater visibility to forest communities and promoting ‘vocations for the Amazon’ within the Peruvian Church.
In some of the graphs sent to Fides news agency by the Peruvian Episcopal Conference, the different Apostolic Vicariates are clearly visible: Vicariate of San José del Amazonas, Vicariate of Iquitos, Vicariate of Yurimaguas, Vicariate of Requena, Vicariate of Jaén, Vicariate of Pucallpa, Vicariate of San Ramón and Vicariate of Puerto Maldonado. About them, there are statistical data, photos and news that show the communities involved in evangelization, social action and pastoral care among the most disadvantaged.
Peru is the second country, after Brazil, with the largest Amazon area. More than 70 million hectares (60% of the national territory) and 3,672,292 inhabitants, that is, 13% of the country’s total population. According to the INEI (National Institute of Statistics), there are 51 indigenous populations in the country and they represent 13 linguistic families.
As Pope Francis rightly recalled in Puerto Maldonado, “States have seen the Amazon as an inexhaustible reserve of natural resources. This has led to a series of erroneous policies in this region that put the existence of the peoples who inhabit it at risk.” It is therefore normal for indigenous peoples to continue to fight for the recognition of their territories, political and ecological autonomy, and economic viability. The Holy Father also said: “The defense of the territory is fundamental in the face of external threats, be they mining activities, monocultures, megaprojects, climate change, etc., or even territorial conflicts arising from invasions by settlers.”
Dialogue, knowledge and learning from the experiences of these indigenous peoples, it is said, are fundamental, not only for the survival of these societies, but also for the entire planet.
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