The bishops of the Dominican Republic encourage us to bear witness to “the love and hope that spring from our faith,” within the framework of the Synod of Synodality that concluded in October and the Jubilee 2025 that began in December.
In the pastoral letter, titled “Let us walk together: Hope does not disappoint,” the prelates recognize that the world today faces various challenges “due to the armed conflicts that shake the world, which foster an uncertain and, at times, terrifying future.” . This reality that affects humanity worries us and challenges us deeply.”
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When presiding over the so-called Red Mass on January 7, Father Abraham Apolinario, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo, asked judges to dispense justice with truth and denounced “lynchings and public executions.”
In his homily, the priest warned: “If the people do not believe in the justice system, if they lose confidence in their judges and collaborators, we run the risk of social violence and people then resort to terrible cases of lynchings and executions.” public”.
Days later, the bishops expressed their “strong disagreement” with “the recent acts of aggression perpetrated by the mining company Barrick Gold” against priests and communities, carried out “with the support of the National Police and the Army of the Dominican Republic.”
This occurred in the face of protests over the entry of heavy machinery from the Barrick Gold mining company to build a tailings dam—a place where mining tailings are stored—which implies the relocation of several local communities.
In their pastoral letter and given the current perspective, the bishops highlighted that “as people of faith, we are called to ‘give reason for our hope'”, assuming “this mission, transforming uncertainty into an opportunity to witness love and hope.” that spring from our faith.”
In this sense, the bishops encourage the work of lay people “consistent with their faith”, of young people who also evangelize social networks, of social organizations, of women, whose work “is essential to energize our communities, and of the movements ecclesiastics, in its key task “in the defense of life and the promotion of family values.”
The Dominican prelates also express their concern for “so many Dominicans who live in vulnerable conditions,” to which they renew their commitment to “social justice, integral development and the protection of the most vulnerable.”
After encouraging their compatriots to embrace the Jubilee of Hope 2025 called by Pope Francis, the bishops invoke “the intercession of Our Lady of Altagracia to guide our steps and strengthen our hope in the Lord.”
You can read the full letter at this link.
Walter Sánchez Silva
I have been a husband since 2008. My wife and I have three children here and one who went to heaven in 2023, before he was born. Since I joined ACI Prensa in 2005, I have had the opportunity to cover various events of the Catholic Church. Among them, the World Youth Days in Cologne, Madrid and Rio de Janeiro and the apostolic trips of Pope Benedict XVI to Mexico and of Pope Francis to South Korea. I have been sent to the Vatican to cover the Family synods, in 2015; of the Amazon, in 2019 and that of Synodality, in 2023. I closely follow the situation of the Catholic Church in Nicaragua, which suffers persecution from the dictatorship of Daniel Ortega, as well as current ecclesiastical events in the region.