GREENWOOD ENERGY AND AUTHORITIES OF THE ARHUACO PEOPLE LED A MISSION TO ROME, PROMOTING A HISTORIC MEETING BETWEEN POPE FRANCIS AND MAMU KUNCHA

Rome, Italian Republic | November 7th, 2024

From October 29 to 31, a delegation made up of leaders of the Arhuaco People and Greenwood Energy [GWE] led a mission to Rome as special guests to a General Audience with Pope Francis in Vatican City, which was complemented by diverse protocol and cultural activities carried out in the Italian capital. The mission was formed by the Chief Executive Officer of GWE, Guido Patrignani, the Main Mamu of the Original Kankurwa of Seykumuke, Gabriel Izquierdo Villafañe [‘Mamu Kuncha’], the Governor of the Arhuaco Cabildo for Magdalena-Guajira, Luis Enrique Salcedo Zalabata, the Secretary General of the Mamus of the Original Kankurwas of Seykumuke and Numa’ka, Noel Alberto Torres Izquierdo, the Head of the Arhuaco Directorate for Children, Adolescence & Women, Rosa Margarita Villafaña, and the President of the Association of Mamus and Traditional Authorities of the Arhuaco People – Ni’kuma, Emilio Enrique Chaparro. The purpose of this visit was to promote the first meeting between the supreme spiritual authority of the Arhuaco People [the Main Mamu of Seykumuke] and the Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church, who in the more than 200 years of shared history between the indigenous communities of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta and the Church, never had the opportunity of meeting in person. In this way, thanks to the valuable efforts carried out by the Colombian Embassy to the Holy See, and by GWE and the Libra Group in organizing the mission, the world witnessed a historical event of great significance for the indigenous communities of Colombia and Latin America.

At the Vatican General Audience held on October 30, members of the delegation participated as distinguished guests, sitting in front of the Pope’s chair in a dedicated sector of Saint Peter’s Square. Once the ceremony concluded, Pope Francis approached the delegation to greet each of its members, and held a brief encounter with Mamu Kuncha, who handed him a letter inside a white traditional Arhuaco ‘mochila’ that symbolizes purity. At the time of handing the ‘mochila’ to the Pope, the Mamu, through the Iku-Spanish translation performed by his Secretary General, Noel Torres, commented: “We are the Guardians of the Heart of the World, and we come before you in representation of over 100,000 people and millions of visible and invisible beings.” The historic meeting that took place in St. Peter’s Square finds its origins in the 1950s in the Sierra Nevada, when the spiritual guides of the Arhuaco People pointed out the need of establishing a bridge of direct dialogue with the Supreme Pontiff, managing to fulfill this mandate 70 years later, on a sunny European autumn morning. The letter delivered to Pope Francis expresses the fraternal will of the Arhuaco People to heal a painful part of the history between the indigenous community and the Church, proposing a new path based on reconciliation, respect and harmony. Thus, the leaders of the Arhuaco People invited the Supreme Pontiff to work together towards the protection of the ancestral territory of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, highlighting the critical role this region plays in the ecological and spiritual balance of Colombia and the world: “We ask you, Your Holiness, as the world’s highest spiritual expression, to help us save the sacred territory of the Sierra Nevada and return it to its function as a planetary safeguard, both physically and spiritually. To this end, we have built the proposal ‘Peace with Nature at the Heart of the World’, which together we can replicate throughout the planet and establish it as the first action motivated by our shared interest, which is life.”

In addition to the historic meeting between the supreme spiritual authorities of the Arhuaco People and the Catholic Church, the delegation also participated in a special tour through the Vatican Museums and the Sistine Chapel, accompanied by a guide who provided them with a personalized experience. Upon entering the emblematic Upper Courtyard, known as the ‘Cortile della Pigna’ [Pinecone Courtyard], those present witnessed a moving moment loaded with deep symbolism, where the leaders of the Arhuaco People performed their traditional greeting based on the exchange of sacred leaves [Ayu] and made use of their Poporos, practicing their culture, for the first time in history, in the very heart of the Holly See. During the tour, the delegation was able to delve into the centuries of history and cultural wealth of Catholicism, exploring the Vatican’s vast collection of art and relics, which includes masterpieces by prestigious artists such as Raphael, Michelangelo, and Leonardo da Vinci.

The day before the Papal Audience, the Colombian Ambassador to the Holy See, Alberto Ospina Carreño, and the Colombian Ambassador to Italy, Ligia Margarita Quessep Bitar, received the delegation at the Colombian Embassy in Rome. During the meeting, the delegation’s concerns about mobilizing resources to protect the Sierra Nevada and the Indigenous Peoples that inhabit it were discussed. The historical magnitude of the meeting between the highest spiritual authorities of the Catholic Church and the Arhuaco People was also highlighted. Regarding the latter, the Governor of the Arhuaco Cabildo for Magdalena-Guajira, Luis Salcedo, thanked the ambassadors on behalf of the community for all the efforts made to secure this significant meeting, which “marks a milestone in the history of the Arhuaco People and Latin America’s indigenous communities”. During the meeting, the Arhuaco leaders also shared with the ambassadors the innovative model presented by the TERRΛ INITIΛTIVE, the project co-created with GWE, which they pointed out as an example of the type of sustainable development that counts with the approval, support, and guidance of their Mamus and Traditional Authorities. Both ambassadors expressed their support for the Arhuaco People to amplify their message of environmental conservation in Italy and the Vatican, followed by a protocol presentation of the entire staff that makes up the Colombian Embassy in the Italian capital. Honoring the historic visit of Mamu Kuncha, Ambassador Quessap, as a symbol of appreciation and respect, removed her shoes when saying goodbye to the highest spiritual authority of the Arhuaco People, who traveled from Colombia barefoot, as his tradition establishes. A heartfelt moment that sealed the meeting, breaking diplomatic protocols and expressing warmth and fraternity towards all Colombian nationals.

As part of the cultural agenda carried out by GWE and the Arhuaco People in Rome and the Vatican, the delegation also participated in an exclusive tour of the historic church of San Silvestro al Quirinale, located a few meters from the Palazzo del Quirinale, the official residence of the Italian President. This is one of the few churches in Rome that is not open to the public, being for the exclusive use of the High Court members of the Knights of the Order of San Martino [L’Associazione Internazionale Cavalieri di San Martino del Monte delle Beatitudeini] and the President of the Italian Republic, opening temporarily for the Jubilee 2025. The invitation to visit the church was kindly managed by the Knight of the Order of San Martino, Eduardo Esparza, and the Grand Prior of the Order, the Prince Lorenzo de’ Medici, who through satellite connection from the United States, guided the tour of the emblematic church that has historically belonged to his family. The de’ Medici family, recognized for its artistic and cultural legacy in Europe, was one of the most influential dynasties of the Italian Renaissance, sponsoring renowned artists such as Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, who lived and worked at San Silvestro al Quirinale for two years. Throughout the tour, the delegation was able to appreciate the artistic and architectural wealth of the Renaissance, delving into the symbolism behind each work, while also getting to know the house where Michelangelo resided during his years at this church, and where he drew all the sketches for the Sistine Chapel. As a closing of the visit, Bev Jones, leader of the Keeseekoowenin First Nation indigenous community of Turtle Island, Canada, who was invited by the delegation to accompany them on this tour, offered, in the roof of the church where the bell that represents the awakening of the soul is found, an ancestral ceremonial song of gratitude for all present. The Order of San Martino, fulfilling its mandate to promote multi-religious interactions, is donating nearly 100 bells like that of San Silvestro al Quirinale to different religious entities around the world.

This historic mission to Rome has been the result of an extensive international collaboration in which people, companies, NGOs and public entities in 8 countries have participated, who through their valuable contributions have managed to demonstrate how cultural diplomacy can assist in a transcendental reconciliation for the history of indigenous communities in Latin America. Greenwood Energy extends special thanks to Ambassador Alberto Ospina Carreño and Press Chief Mauricio Caravajal Castro of the Embassy of Colombia to the Holy See, Ambassador Ligia Margarita Quessep Bitar and Cultural Advisor Federico Ibargüen of the Embassy of Colombia in Italy, the Honorary Consul of Colombia in Greece, Michalis Skoufalos, the Director of the LEA Festival, Adriana Martínez, Prince Lorenzo de’ Medici and Eduardo Esparza of the Order of Knights of San Martino, and our parent company, the Libra Group, for their support to the mission, actively contributing to the recognition and vindication of the Guardians of the Heart of the World.

 

The official press release from the Colombian Embassy to the Holy See is available here.

 

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