Pope Francis’ much-awaited exhortation on the Pan-Amazonian synod will be released on Feb. 12, the Vatican announced today. It bears the title “Querida Amazonia” (“Beloved Amazonia”) and will be sent to journalists at 8 a.m. in the morning with an embargo until midday (Rome time). It will be available in different languages including English.
America has learned that Pope Francis finished writing the text on Dec. 27, and—as is the normal praxis—the text was then submitted to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the papal theologian for their opinion. No substantial changes were made to the text, and it was subsequently sent for translation, which is a long process.
A press conference will be held on Feb. 12 at 1 p.m. in Rome, 7 a.m. EST, which will be live-streamed. Participants at the press conference will include two cardinals: Lorenzo Baldisseri, general secretary of the Synod of Bishops; and Michael Czerny, special secretary of that synod. Others on the panel will be the Rev. Adelson Araújo dos Santos, S.J., theologian and professor of spirituality at the Gregorian University, Rome; and Augusta de Oliveira, S.M.R., a Brazilian sister and vicar general of the Serve di Maria Riparatrici.
The 2007 Nobel Prize winner Carlos Nobre will also be present. The Most Rev. David Martínez de Aguirre Guinea, O.P., from Puerto Maldonado, Peru, who served as special secretary of the synod with Cardinal Czerny, will participate by video-link-up.
