POPE FRANCIS

ANGELUS

Saint Peter's Square
Sunday, 15 October 2017

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

At the conclusion of this celebration, I cordially greet you all, who have come from various countries to pay homage to the new Saints. A respectful greeting goes in a particular way to the official Delegations of Brazil, France, Italy, Mexico, the Order of Malta and Spain. May the example and intercession of these bright witnesses to the Gospel accompany us on our journey and help us to always promote fraternal relationships in solidarity, for the good of the Church and of society.

Embracing the wish of several Latin American Episcopal Conferences, as well as the requests of various Pastors and faithful from other parts of the world, I have decided to convoke a Special Assembly of the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, which will take place in Rome in the month of October 2019. The main purpose of this convocation is to identify new paths for the evangelization of this segment of the People of God, especially the indigenous peoples, often forgotten and without the prospect of a peaceful future, also due to the crisis of the Amazon rainforest, the lungs of paramount importance for our planet. May the new Saints intercede through this ecclesial event, so that, with respect for the beauty of creation, all the people of the earth may praise God, Lord of the universe, and enlightened by him, may follow paths of justice and peace.

I also recall that the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty will be observed the day after tomorrow. Poverty is not an inevitable misfortune: it has causes that must be recognized and removed, in order to honour the dignity of many brothers and sisters, after the example of the Saints.