The Pope urged the bishops to sustain their collaborative efforts, and called on CELAM to continue advancing the Church’s renewal through its prophetic and missionary dimensions.
Newsroom (17/09/2025, Gaudium Press ) Pope Leo XIV held a private audience on September 15 with the presidency of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM), capping a series of visits by the group to various dicasteries and departments of the Holy See.
The meeting, described by participants as a “fraternal” encounter, provided an opportunity for CELAM leaders to outline their ongoing initiatives and discuss regional challenges facing the Catholic Church in Latin America and the Caribbean.
“We were able to share the initiatives we are developing and our challenges,” said Cardinal Jaime Spengler, CELAM’s president and archbishop of Porto Alegre, Brazil. He emphasized that the dialogue underscored the council’s proactive stance, rooted in shared responsibility for the Church’s mission.
Spengler also highlighted the session as a response to the “ongoing cooperation and support” from partner organizations, which he said fills CELAM with pride through their demonstrated interest. The leaders used the occasion to express gratitude to the pontiff and extend congratulations on his recent birthday.
Monsignor Lizardo Estrada, CELAM’s secretary general and auxiliary bishop of Cusco, Peru, portrayed the audience as a moment of warmth and familiarity. “The Holy Father has a Latin American soul; he welcomed us with great warmth and closeness,” Estrada said.
Key Agenda Items
As part of its biennial practice, the CELAM presidency presented Pope Leo XIV with a comprehensive report on its activities across Latin America. This included collaborations with national episcopal conferences, early-year regional assemblies, and an analysis of sociopolitical dynamics impacting the region’s countries.
A significant focus was the preparatory work by Latin American bishops for the upcoming COP 30 United Nations Climate Change Conference, set to take place in Brazil next year. Supported by the Brazilian Episcopal Conference and CELAM’s territorial networks, these efforts aim to address environmental issues from a faith-based perspective.
The discussion also touched on a shared global agenda with episcopal bodies in Africa and Asia, centered on a document advocating for climate justice while critiquing “false ecological solutions” in the Global South.
Synod Reception and Future Directions
Estrada noted that the group shared an advance overview of the synodal process in Latin America and the Caribbean, building on the Final Document of the 2021-2024 Synod. To facilitate its implementation, CELAM has formed a continental leadership committee that coordinates with episcopal conferences to establish national teams and foster synodality as a “spiritual conversation.”
Supporting materials include publications from CELAM’s Theological-Pastoral Reflection Team (ERTP), Catholic universities, and the Knowledge Management Center, distributed via the CELAM Publishing House.
Recently, the Cebitepal Theological Center introduced a synodality training initiative called “Together-juntos-insieme,” involving various ecclesial groups to equip parishes, communities, and institutions for deeper engagement.
In closing, Pope Leo XIV expressed approval of these advancements and urged the bishops to sustain their collaborative efforts, including enhanced networking among episcopates. He called on CELAM to continue advancing the Church’s renewal through its prophetic and missionary dimensions — a role the organization has upheld over its 70-year history — while discerning “the signs of the times.”
- Raju Hasmukh with files from adn.celam.org
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