In the middle of Peru’s Amazon jungle, Pope Francis on Friday delivered what could be considered a “seamless garment” speech – stressing ecology and issuing a strong appeal for protection of the Amazon region, which he said is not an “inexhaustible source of resources,” while also insisting that human life has equal, if not greater, value.

It is painful to think that some want to reject this certainty and make Madre de Dios a nameless land, without children, a barren land. A place easy to commercialize and exploit. That is why it is good for us to repeat in our homes and communities, and in the depths of each of our hearts: This is not a land of orphans! It has a Mother!

Amazonia is not only a reserve of biodiversity but also a cultural reserve that must be preserved in the face of the new forms of colonialism. The family is, and always has been, the social institution that has most contributed to keeping our cultures alive. In moments of past crisis, in the face of various forms of imperialism, the families of the original peoples have been the best defense of life. Special care is demanded of us, lest we allow ourselves to be ensnared by ideological forms of colonialism disguised as progress.

The pope went on to say those great feasts reflect a basic instinct of Christianity, which is that the Gospel spirit is one of joy. He offered Mary as an example of how to keep the good times rolling, noting that it was Mary who pointed out to Jesus at Cana that the guests were running out of wine, which triggered the miracle.

During his trip to Chile, one of the questions that loomed large was the situation of Bishop Juan Barros, who is accused by victims of sexual abuse of covering up the abuse by a popular preacher years ago. Yet on Thursday, the pope said that he’s yet to see evidence of wrongdoing, and that what’s being said against the bishop is a “calumny.”

There’s never a dull moment with the whirlwind that is Pope Francis, who has many times labeled the pope of firsts: Onboard the Airbus 321 going from Santiago to the northern city to Iquique in Chile, he married a couple that asked for his blessing.

Let us make the most of the opportunity to learn and make our own the values, the wisdom and the faith that migrants bring with them. Without being closed to those “jars” so full of wisdom and history brought by those who continue to come to these lands. Let us not deprive ourselves of all the good that they have to contribute.

For Pope Francis, young people are called to be “protagonists,” to dream big and to channel their faith-induced excitement, knowing that Jesus is their “power source” and without a connection to Jesus, people end up drowning their thoughts and ideas, dreams and faith, “so we get frustrated and annoyed.”

The educational community can enjoy an endless number of possibilities and potentialities if it allows itself to be enriched and challenged by all who are part of the educational enterprise. This requires an increased concern for quality and integration. The service that the university offers must always aim for quality and excellence in the service of national coexistence

Realizing how important young people and their experiences are, this year I wanted to call the Synod, and before it, the meeting of young people, so that you can feel – and really be – protagonists in the heart of the Church.