Agenzia Fides

Santo Domingo (Agenzia Fides) - The Dominican Episcopal Conference (DEC) and the National Commission for the Pastoral Care of the Family have asked the Dominican government to establish the "Ministry of the Family," which manages all the institutions responsible for the implementation of public policies regarding this vital and fundamental unit of society.
The proposal is contained in a document signed by Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, Archbishop of Santo Domingo, which was read during a Mass celebrated by the Cardinal at the end of the march "A step for my family." The march was held on Sunday, November 25 in Santo Domingo, with the participation of thousands of people, on the occasion of the month of the family, and it was also attended by Vice-President Margarita Cedeño de Fernández, and the first lady of the Republic, Cándida Montilla de Medina .
After stressing that "the family should be the main protagonist of the public policy of the State", the Dominican Bishops and the Catholic population suggest that the Ministries of Women and Youth, the National Council for Children (Conami) and for the disabled (Conadis ), such as the Institute for the protection of the Elderly and the system of protection of children and adolescents, among other public sector services, are grouped into a new institution that could be called "Ministry of the Family." The note sent to Fides Agency emphasizes the Cardinal’s words: "As a Church we commit ourselves to live as true families and to make known the great and irreplaceable values of the Christian family." (CE) (Agenzia Fides 27/11/2012)