Pope Francis made history when he became the first Pontiff from South America. And he is about to make history once again, as he is set to appoint Manaus, Brazil Archbishop Leonardo Steiner as the first cardinal from the Amazon region.

Steiner is set to take office on August 27. He talked to the Associated Press in a written interview. Steiner told the outlet that with the decision to appoint him as cardinal, Amazonian communities felt that the distance between Rome and the Amazon is now smaller.

He also told the AP that the move might be the reason why the Amazonian people are filled with joy.

Archbishop Leonardo Steiner to Bolster Pope Francis's Environmental Agenda in the Amazon in Brazil

The current Archbishop of Manaus in Brazil is a known advocate of indigenous people in the Amazon. In his interview with the AP, Leonardo Steiner said he was selected to become a cardinal for four reasons. 

These include the desire to do more missionary work in the Amazon and be more attentive to the poor, care for the Amazon as "our common home," and have the Church contribute to the "autonomy of Indigenous people."

Cardinals serve as the pope's advisers and are considered the most senior clergy members, second only to the papacy. Steiner's selection is not surprising to many observers, as Pope Francis has given much importance to the Amazon region.

Pope Francis also has a deep environmental agenda, and Steiner is seen to help in that area. In his historic 2015 encyclical letter known as the Laudato Si', Pope Francis stressed the importance of keeping the environment safe for everyone to live in.

The letter calls for the preservation of the region's biodiversity, as well as portrays Indigenous peoples as forest guardians. Pope Francis is taking the destruction of the environment very seriously, and Steiner's appointment will ensure that his commitment to environmental issues continues.

The pope dedicated an entire synod or meeting of bishops to the Amazon region in 2019. Steiner was appointed as the archbishop of Manaus right after the Amazon synod ended. 

The Jesuit who bears the name "Francis" as a nod to the environmentalist St. Francis of Assisi believes that the Franciscan Leonardo Steiner shared the same ethos and ideology as his namesake.

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Catholic Socio-Environmental Agenda May Clash With Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro's Pro-Agribusiness Stance

This pro-Amazon rainforest agenda may not go over too well with the current Brazilian government. President Jair Bolsonaro has rolled back environmental protections in favor of farmers. 

Bolsonaro has aligned himself with numerous Brazilian Pentecostal churches to promote the pro-agribusiness beef caucus in Congress, as many within the Pentecostal church advocate for the cattle industry.

Environmental group Greenpeace has dubbed the populist president as a "catastrophe for the environment." Bolsonaro was never shy of his anti-environmental stance, favoring big business over the plight of the Brazilian people. 

Over the past three years, the Amazon rainforest has seen a 52.9% increase in deforestation. Under the current government, Brazil has also increased its greenhouse gas emissions by 10%. 

However, this is mainly due to the fires around the country. Green Peace noted that many of these fires had been set by farmers to increase their land, and the Bolsonaro government encouraged it without care for the environment.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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