THE LETTER ANTICIPATING THE SYNOD FOR THE AMAZON: A LITERARY READING OF LAUDATO SI'

Abstract

Using the close reading method, this article seeks to show that the decision to hold a synod on the Amazon was already implicit in the literary ele­ments of Laudato Si'. Its spiral form suggests that the dialogue aims at the gradual formation of groups that can prevail over the existing power groups. The use of  anticipation demonstrates the possibility of dialogue between opposing groups, once the arguments of Laudato Si' reflect common values; that of metonymy reveals strategies concerning the concealment of environmental damage; the rhetoric of prosopopeia brings the voiceless poor closer to the voiceless nature, demanding social inclusion for the underprivileged and the consideration of environmental issues in socioeconomic development. The encyclical anticipates the synod, since the Amazon region provides an ideal context to discuss both environmental pro­blems and social inclusion ”” as suggested by the author ”” in order to create new patterns of sustainable development.