To the indigenous peoples of the whole world, especially our brothers and sisters of the Vincentian Family, and to all brothers and sisters who share with us the faith and hope for a better world.

From the diversity of the native peoples of Ecuador, Colombia, Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala, Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama, with the participation of thirty-eight individuals representing the indigenous Vincentian family (indigenous and non-indigenous), we gathered at the Gethsemani Retreat House in Quito, Ecuador (July 8 to 12, 2024) under the theme: The cry of Mother Earth and the journey of the indigenous peoples. We have come together with the mission of walking together in fraternity and solidarity … engaging in this journey from the richness of the plurality of our identities as we follow Jesus Christ in a Vincentian manner.

During these five days we have lived and experienced, with great intensity, the energy that our ancestors have bequeathed through the different native peoples present here in this place. At the same time, the application of the method see-judge-act revitalizes our struggle to transform the threats to Mother Earth and to recover harmony with creation … knowing the pain with which she groans due to the mistreatment and the vulnerable situation of her children. The exchange of our ministry experiences and the reality of our peoples has had an impact in generating solidarity and cultural dialogue… we face common challenges and have embraced a shared spirituality and all of this encourages us to continue to develop and respect the values of our people.

During the Sixth World Meeting of Indigenous People, the Pope made the following exhortation: Therefore, I ask governments to recognize the indigenous peoples of the world, with their cultures, languages, traditions and spirituality, and to respect their dignity and their rights, in the knowledge that the richness of our great human family consists precisely in its diversity. For this reason, we, members of the Confraternity of Indigenous Vincentians organize ourselves in a concrete way to be able to maintain our charism, to protect Mother Earth and to make solidarity the bond  that allows us to experience ourselves as brothers and sisters at the international level so that our strength remains constant in the struggle to preserve our values which are quickly becoming opaque, giving way to individualism.

As members of this confraternity, we have the vision of being recognized as a source of conversion and life, revealing with hope and gratitude the indigenous face of the Vincentian family and doing this in a manner that makes it clear that another world is possible. For this reason, we propose, at the internal and international levels, concrete lines of action which will allow us to proclaim the Gospel in a way that enkindles hope in the hearts of our indigenous peoples and enables them to live faith and charity in a practical way and thus, be credible witnesses before society.

Love is inventive to infinity
(St. Vincent de Paul)

Confraternity of Indigenous Vincentians,
July 12, 2024,
Quito, Ecuador.