Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Santo Domingo (Agenzia Fides) – The Bishops of the Dominican Republic celebrated the consecration of the Dominican Republic to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, on the feast of Our Lady of Ransom on September 24 (see Fides 15/9/2008). The Act of Consecration took place in all the Dioceses simultaneously, led by Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, President of the Bishops’ Conference, who celebrated a Mass in honor of Our Lady in “Santo Cerro de La Vega.” In the Mass, the Cardinal condemned the corruption, immorality, crime, poverty, and confusion, and referred to drug-trafficking as an especially perverse evil, calling for a response to be made to the situation. He also spoke of the importance of the family and how society presents a threat to it. He also asked that God would help them to “preserve the Catholic faith, in service to Christ...that His Kingdom of justice, love, and peace, and the strength of His Spirit may come and conquer our selfishness, hate, cruelty, and deceit.” He also asked the people to strengthen their faith, foster the hope of a better country and thus reach a true conversion, as faithful disciples of the Lord, forming community in order to be missionaries of the new evangelization. In the Act of Consecration, he asked the Virgin Mary to protect all institutions, especially the family, children, and young people.
In Santo Domingo, the main act took place in the Cathedral and was presided by Auxiliary Bishop Pablo Cedano. The ceremony began with a prayer “cenacle,” in which the four sets of mysteries of the Rosary were prayed. The Mass was held at 12 noon. “On this occasion,” the Bishop said in his homily, “the Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic is greatly troubled by the situation of her country, and lifts its prayers for the delinquent youth, the drug traffickers, all those involved in this business, for an end to poverty and all that come as a result.” For the Bishop, the present situation is not much different than in other times of difficulty. And even if “war is not named World War III,” there are other wars: “the wars of today are in the conflict, drugs, illiteracy, pornography, sex, greed, abortion, war on the family and on every individual that walks down a street in insecurity.” Bishop Cedano made a call to the Catholics to participate in the mission that the Archdiocese will hold in March of next year, to consecrate their families to God.
Archbishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Santiago, Juan Antonio Flores Santana, focused on the need to take refuge in the Immaculate Heart of Mary so as to flee from the evils we face today. “The people of the Dominican Republic should be continually in prayer to the Almighty, asking that He free us from these evils and that there may be peace and harmony,” he said. However, he also mentioned that the consecration to the Heart of Mary is not a magic formula for resolving the country’s problems, and that the people of the country should continue fighting against domestic violence, drug trafficking, insecurity, and corruption.
The Consecration of the country to the Immaculate Heart of Mary took place prior to the Mass. (RG) (Agenzia Fides 26/9/2008)
