Was Mr. Morales’s departure from La Paz the result of a coup? Or was the president’s removal the result of a more or less defensible process?

The accusations of paganism and idolatry at the Synod on the Amazon sent a troubling message about the universality of the church, writes Mary McAuliffe, a teacher at a Jesuit school in the Pacific.

One of the richest philosophical traditions in human history has been ignored and even systematically persecuted: the broad family of indigenous philosophies.

Foreign-owned mining companies are threatening the lands of indigenous peoples in the Amazon, writes Luke Stocking of Caritas Canada. Four Mura villages are part of a test case of more responsible business practices.

“There are circles and sectors that present themselves as ilustrados (enlightened) — they sequester the proclamation of the gospel through a distorted reasoning that divides the world between ‘civilized’ and ‘barbaric,'” Francis said. "On this basis, contempt can develop for people considered to be second rate,” he said, adding that “all this also emerged during the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon.”

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has been recorded several times stating that he does not agree with the number and size of indigenous territories.