“The Church in Latin America is very, very concerned with the destruction of the Amazon”, said Irish Columban Fr Peter Hughes in an interview on Vatican radio.
Peter Hughes and the Columban JPIC team at the InterAmerican Human Rights Commission
He was commenting on the new Church initiative, the Pan-Amazonian Ecclesial Network. It aims to promote the economic development of the region while managing Amazonian natural resources in a way that’s respectful of human dignity and targets the common good. Fr. Hughes is is the executive secretary of the Department of Justice and Solidarity of the Latin American Bishops' Conference (CELAM) based in Bogotá, Colombia. He has worked in Peru since 1966.
“The Church has a long presence working in different parts of the Amazon”, continues Fr. Hughes. “But because of modern development and particularly the huge amount of concessions that the nations states are giving to the major mining corporations, we are direct witnesses because of our work with the Amazon peoples, of the levels of destruction and depredation, of what is happening to the rivers, to animal life to bird life and particularly to the people, who are the age-old first inhabitants of the region. Their lives are being destroyed, their lands are being taken their cultures are being trodden down. They are filled with the evil effects of disorganized mining operations. The levels of sickness, particularly the cancer levels, that are due to the amount of lead, mercury and arsenic that goes into the blood of the peoples with subsequent cancer levels is absolutely shocking. We have great hope, that we will use the resources available to us through our people, networks, organizations, congregations, so that we may be more faithful people in proclaiming the Gospel of Life.”
On meeting indigenous peoples in Rio de Janeiro during the 2013 Brazilian World Youth Day celebrations Pope Francis said: “The Church is not in the Amazon like someone with their bags packed ready to leave after exploiting it. She has been there since the beginning with missionaries, religious congregations, priests, laity and bishops, and her presence is decisive for the region”.
Fr Peter Hughes has been instrumental in a process over two years to bring together the Bishops of South, Central, and North America to present evidence to the InterAmerican Human Rights Commission about the Extractive Industries' violation of human rights and Creation. This is the first time the episcopal conferences of the Americas have come together to speak out in a unified voice on Extractive Industries.
As a gesture of Columban solidarity, Columbans in the JPIC Ministry in Washington joined Peter and the delegation.
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