When Father Dario preaches to Echeverri Gonzalez, he does not come down from the pulpit, but in the midst of his church. On a Sunday in October, the Claretian priest stands in the Basílica del Sagrado Corazon de Jesús in Bogotá and campaigns with a grand gesture for tolerance - for homosexuals and prostitutes, real sinners and those who have only accidentally. Then he leaves the stage to a group of festively dressed Indians - they sing, make music, perform a wedding ritual. On the church floor a floral mosaic shines, reminiscent of their close connection to nature.
Heresy, pope critics such as the German Cardinal Walter Brandmüller may think at the sight of such "pagan" activity in the bosom of the church. But Padre Gonzalez has quite different problems - and does exactly what the Amazonas synod demands in their final paper.
Annette Langer, DER SPIEGEL
Padre Dario Echeverri Gonzalez
His church is located in the middle of a drugstore that was once called the "Bronx". He has contributed significantly, according to parishioners, to reduce violence on the ground. He is joined by homeless people, drug addicts, victims of violence and indigenous people driven from their sometimes resource-rich homes by guerrillas, paramilitaries and unscrupulous entrepreneurs. Homeland is, for many indigenous people, the place where their umbilical cord has traditionally been buried - much more than just a birthplace.
Pope Francis, born in Argentina, has never made a secret of how much he cares about the Indians. For three weeks, Amazonia was at the center of the synod debate in Rome - now the final paper is available.
"Oxygen for the church"
The final document, approved by a two-thirds majority of the synod fathers, suggests that an "Amazonian rite" should be developed, which should also take into account the indigenous culture in the liturgy. The church claims to separate itself from old and new forms of colonialism: Indigenous religions must be known and "understood in their own terms and their relationships with the forest and Mother Earth". Locals are also increasingly proselytizing: "Amazon must also be evangelized by Amazon."
The reasons for so much tolerance are also practical: The lack of priests in Amazonia is blatant, many believers can only once or twice a year to celebrate Mass. In addition, evangelicals and Pentecostals are tearing Catholics away.
The document specifically calls for action on human rights violations. "Attacks against the life and communities of Indigenous people" should be reported, as well as projects that limit their rights. For the Church, defending the rights of indigenous peoples is "a gospel principle".
In Colombia, there were once 300 indigenous peoples - today there are only about one hundred. Dario Echeverri Gonzalez is familiar with complicated debates: he was a member of the National Reconciliation Commission and has accompanied the negotiations between the FARC guerilla and the Colombian government in Cuba. He knows that the Synod in Rome can only give recommendations. Nevertheless, it was "oxygen for the church" that Pope Francis again initiated an international meeting that sparks important debates. "I hope the church finally decolorizes and gets a human face."
Deacons may become married priests
Liberal German Catholics had hoped that the Synod Fathers would make married priests respectable across the back door of the Amazon in the whole world church. They were disappointed. It is true that the Synod of Bishops recommended that married deacons in the region be ordained priests in exceptional cases. According to Italian media, a majority of 128 to 41 members of the Synod had decided to do so. But the talk is only of deacons, only in the Amazon.
Some participants argued in favor of tackling this issue on a "universal" level, according to the final document. This refers to the possible geographical extension of the practice to other countries, which are also in the panic in view of the shortage of priests. But "approaching" is just a declaration of intent. Probably, in order not to supply too much ammunition to conservative forces in the church, the paper explicitly emphasizes that celibacy is not up for grabs.
Disappointing also the remarks on the role of the woman in the church. Once again it was benevolently stated what a tremendous contribution the women made in the communities - but for the specific proposal of a female diaconate the votes were not enough. The synod fathers asked for a new office for women in the Amazon, the community leader.
Francis himself had launched a commission in 2016 to find out if a women's deaconate is possible. But the panel had come to no clear conclusion in two years. Now new Commissioners are to re-launch the process, which is traditionally a long one. 181 men had voted on the synodal final document - although more than 30 women were present at the Synod.
Eco-Agenda
The ecological and anti-capitalist tone of Pope Francis' encyclical "Laudato Si" can also be found in the final document of the synod: In order to protect the peoples of the Amazon from national and multinational corporations and to guarantee them free access to drinking water, an international fund should be set up ,
The exploitation of the Amazon region, as practiced under Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, described the bishops as an "ecological sin" and an "act against God."
