Agenzia Fides

Santo Domingo (Agenzia Fides) - The Apostolic Nuncio in the Dominican Republic, Archbishop Jozef Wesolowski, stressed the urgent need to break the chain of violence and death that affects the Dominican Republic and asked to create bonds of solidarity as means to combat this scourge. The Archbishop launched this appeal during the Holy Mass celebrated in the Church of Las Mercedes, on the 24th , on the occasion of the feast of Our Lady of Mercedes, patron saint of the Dominican people. The devotion to Our Lady of Mercedes is widespread in the Central American country, and her feast is celebrated in almost all Catholic parishes and small communities in the country.
"In the Dominican Republic there is so much violence, lack of respect for the human person, a crime creates another crime, a violent death, another death, we have an urgent need to break this deadly and bloody chain that involves many areas of our cities", said the Nuncio during his homily. At the same time, he underlined the Bishops’ concern for the violence which is so widespread in the country and for its deep roots, which lie in drug-dealing, in the ambition to make money easily and in the aggression of mob groups. To this situation, he said, the low level of education, poverty of large segments of the population and family disintegration have to added.
Mgr. Wesolowski asked not to yield to the logic of violence, the logic of revenge and hatred, remembering that "the solidarity of the believers, parish communities and all people of good will can change the face of our society". So he insisted on the fact that solidarity can break the chain of deadly violence, which is possible to change and make this society more humane and more fair. At the end of the homily he asked the Dominican people to pray to the Virgin of Mercedes for the union of families, the social unity of the country and for violence to come to an end. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 26/09/2011)