Pope Francis urges bold action to protect the Amazon wildfire

Pope Francis urged bishops on Sunday to boldly shake up status quo as y chart ways to better care for Amazon and its indigeus people amid threats from forest fires, development and what he called ideological “ashes of fear.”

Pope Francis opened a three-week meeting on preserving rainforest and ministering to its native people as he fended off attacks from conservatives who are opposed to his ecological nda. Pope Francis celebrated an opening Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday with global attention newly focused on forest fires that are devouring Amazon, which scientists say is a crucial bulwark against global warming.

On hand for service were indigeus people from several tribes, some with ir faces painted and wearing feared hedresses, as well as more than 180 South American cardinals, bishops, and priests, who donned green vestments like pope. y traveled to Rome from region for a special syd, or meeting, that has become one of most controversial of Francis’ papacy.

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Among most contentious proposals on nda is wher married elders could be ordained priests to dress chronic priest shorts in region. Currently, indigeus Catholics in remote parts of Amazon can go months without seeing a priest or having a proper Mass.

Pope Francis’ conservative critics, including a handful of cardinals, have called proposals “heretical” and an invitation to a “pagan” religion that idolizes nature rar than God. y have mounted an opposition campaign, issuing petitions and holding conferences to raise ir voices.

Yet in his homily, Francis urged Amazonian bishops to go boldly forward, urging y be “prudent” but t “timid” as y discern new ways to protect environment and minister to faithful. He drew a distinction between “fire” of missionary zeal and fires that aim to carve out rainforest for agricultural uses.

“ fire set by interests that destroy, like fire that recently devastated Amazonia, is t fire of Gospel,” he said. “ fire of God is warmth that attracts and gars into unity. It is fed by sharing, t by profits.”

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He prayed that God’s “daring prudence” would inspire bishops to bold action to protect region. “If everything continues as it was, if we spend our days content that ‘this is way things have always been done,’ n gift vanishes, smored by ashes of fear and concern for defending status quo,” he said.

In many ways, Pope Francis opened syd last year, when he traveled into Peruvian Amazon and demanded that corporations stop ir relentless extraction of timber, gas, and gold. Meeting with native families in steamy Puerto Maldono, Francis declared that Amazon and its indigeus people are “heart of church” and demanded that governments recognize ir rights to determine region’s future.

Jair Bolsonaro wants ecomic development

State workers at some of Brazil's environmental ncies say y are feeling increasing pressure from illegal loggers and miners, galvanized by Bolsonaro's pro-development nda. Bolsonaro has repeatedly said he wants to promote ecomic development in Amazon and regularize small-scale illegal mining, kwn as garimpo. He was criticized at times work carried out by state environmental ncies. Bolsonaro mentioned that if he could find a legal frame for it, he possibly could send troops to state of Para to help wildcat miners carry out ir activities. Brazilian President criticized again foreign countries meddling with what he sees as a Brazilian domestic matter.

"I have to comply with law. interest in Amazon is t about indigeus or tree, it's about minerals!," Bolsonaro told a small crowd of illegal miners gared outside Planalto Palace in Brasilia, where he met on Tuesday with garimpos representatives and his mining and energy minister.

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