VATICAN CITY -- Most bishops who lead dioceses in the Amazon support the ordination of married men of proven virtue, or "viri probati," as a way of addressing the lack of priests in the region, a Brazilian bishop said.

VATICAN CITY -- Synod members called for the Catholic Church to deepen its theology in a way that would help people recognize "ecological sins."

VATICAN CITY -- Synod participants offered several proposals to address the lack of priests in the Amazon region, including revising the formation program for candidates to the priesthood and instituting new ministries for lay men and women.

VATICAN CITY -- Climate change, water resources, inculturation and indigenous practices were among the topics discussed during the first afternoon session of the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon.

VATICAN CITY -- People in Western countries need to see the different cultural expressions of faith that exist in other parts of the world, said some participants at the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon.

VATICAN CITY -- With its mandate to seek "new pathways for the church and for an integral ecology," the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon follows Pope Francis' call for the church to move forward without fear, Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes told participants.

VATICAN CITY -- While the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon is focused on one small, but important geographical area, the issues involved impact the universal Catholic Church, said Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri, secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops.

VATICAN CITY -- The Synod of Bishops for the Amazon is a time of reflection, dialogue and listening to the needs and sufferings of indigenous people, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY -- The Catholic Church's mission in the world is to spread the fire of God's love and must not be limited to the "'ordinary maintenance' of those who already know the Gospel," Pope Francis said.

OTTAWA -- Although the question of married priests to serve remote regions of the Amazon has monopolized headlines prior to the upcoming Synod of Bishops, it is not a priority issue, said a Canadian bishop who will participate in the synod.

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis joined Amazonian church workers and indigenous people Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, to plant a tree in the Vatican Gardens.

ROME (CNA) -- Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, presented a book Wednesday arguing that in the face of challenges, the Church should not grab at quick solutions, but seek to deepen its understanding of the uninterrupted tradition of priestly celibacy in the Latin rite.

VATICAN CITY -- Brazilian Cardinal Claudio Hummes said the working document for the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon is not official church teaching, but rather a way for bishops to listen to the local church's concerns.

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis has appointed Bishop Mario Grech of Gozo, Malta, as pro-secretary-general of the Synod of Bishops, the Vatican said.

ROME -- It only takes an accurate, unbiased reading of the working document for the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon to see its aim to find new ways to evangelize the region does not stray from church tradition or the teachings of previous popes, said a Brazilian theologian.