US embassy cable - 05SANTODOMINGO3024

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 SANTO DOMINGO 003024 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
DEPT FOR WHA/CAR, INR; SOUTHCOM ALSO FOR POLAD 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: DR, PREL, SOCI, Dominican Politics 
SUBJECT: DOMINICAN POLITICS #27: THE DOMINICAN CATHOLIC 
CHURCH - AVUNCULAR, ACTIVIST AND TRUSTED 
 
1. (SBU) The following is number 27 in our series on the 
first year of Leonel Fernandez's administration. 
 
 
The Dominican Catholic Church - Avuncular, Activist, and 
Trusted 
 
Like many countries in Latin America, the Dominican Republic 
has a nominally Roman Catholic majority. For 500 years the 
Dominican Catholic Church has not only been the preeminent 
religious institution, but has also wielded significant 
political influence.   This dual role continues today, 
despite inroads by other denominations in Dominicans, 
religious preferences.  Through a handful of prominent 
players, the Catholic Church makes itself heard on general 
principles but rarely prescribes specific remedies or rebukes 
individuals in public.  Its presence is felt in a wide array 
of social and political domains. 
 
A Catholic Overview 
 
A 1997 survey found that 68 percent of Dominicans were 
Catholic, but the Catholic Church sets the figure at 87 
percent. In opinion polls, the Church consistently outranks 
other national institutions as having the confidence and 
trust of the people. Last year, the Church scored 71 percent, 
the banks 41 percent, the armed forces 40 percent, the 
President 37 percent, the police 37 percent, the judiciary 32 
percent, Congress 24 percent, and political parties 18 
percent. Dominican Catholic clergy cite these figures with 
satisfaction. 
 
There is no state religion in the Dominican Republic. The 
Trujillo dictatorship signed a Concordat with the Holy See in 
1954, a bilateral that gave the Catholic Church the right to 
impart religious instruction in public schools, government 
funding for building and repairing church facilities, and a 
waiver of customs duties for importation of goods. The 
Concordat provides general clerical immunity from arrest, 
detention and prosecution, but allows the state to treat 
cases on their individual merits.  The Papal Nuncio -- the 
Vatican,s ambassador to the Dominican Republic - serves as 
the dean of the diplomatic corps. The current Nuncio is U.S. 
citizen Timothy Broglio, who has been resident in Santo 
Domingo for four years. 
 
Catholic priests are the only clergy recognized by the state 
as empowered to perform marriages.  In popular barrios, many 
believe that marriage under another religious regime will 
lead to automatic excommunication, and in many cases unions 
remain of the common law variety.  In early 2005 the 
Dominican Congress passed legislation to recognize marriages 
performed by other denominations, but to date no implementing 
regulations have been prepared. 
 
Dominican practice is "Caribbean Catholicism," as the Nuncio 
commented to us with a smile.  Dominicans are not 
particularly ardent churchgoers, and their period of Carnival 
is not limited to "mardi gras" but rather extends 
systematically throughout the period of Lent, taking the form 
of municipal celebrations staged on weekends by different 
towns, up to the last weekend before Easter. 
 
Prominent Representatives 
 
Catholic clergy from all over the country regularly make the 
daily news voicing opinions about politics, society, and - 
yes - theological issues. Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez 
Rodrguez, 69 years old, is the most regularly cited leader 
of the church hierarchy. Ordained in 1961, he was appointed 
cardinal 30 years later, in 1991. Lopez Rodriguez is known 
for his conservative views and regular commentary - and 
occasional outbursts - on political affairs. In his recent 
homilies and comments to journalists he has condemned 
corruption, political scandals, the judicial system,s 
inefficacy, drug trafficking, and prison conditions.  For a 
time the Dominican media bruited Cardinal Lopez Rodriguez as 
a possible candidate for the papal succession.  He had 
expressed the hope that a Latin American cardinal might be 
chosen, pointing out that nearly half of the world,s 
Catholics live in Latin America. 
 
The country,s leading private university, Pontifica 
Universidad Catolica Madre y Maestra (Pontifical Catholic 
University, Mother and Teacher, usually known as PUCMM), was 
established in Santiago - the nation,s second largest city 
-- and has another campus in Santo Domingo. Monsignor 
Agripino Nunez, rector of this institution since 1970, is 
heavily involved in mediating political affairs.  For every 
national election in the past 20 years, Msgr Nunez has 
presided a monitoring committee of civil society notables to 
guarantee the fairness of the electoral process.  He chaired 
such a committee for the 2003-2004 presidential campaign, 
amid fears and rumors of electoral fraud, and appeared on 
television on election night alongside prominent foreign 
ambassadors to admonish vote counters to deliver rapid, 
accurate results.  In April Msgr Nunez brought together 
Health Minister Sabino Baez with the long-aggrieved, 
repeatedly striking representatives of government-employed 
physicians and wrested an agreement to double salaries - in 
2006. Nunez's role is so significant (and predictable) in 
Dominican politics that when Fernandez decided to establish 
an Economic and Social Council to advise the administration, 
the first intention was to appoint Nunez to head it, with the 
rank, privileges and pay of a minister.  This was not 
acceptable under canon law, so the council was structured to 
include a representative elected by the rectors of Dominican 
universities -- Nunez was chosen by fellow rectors and then 
he was voted by other members of the Economic and Social 
Council to preside. 
 
The Council of Bishops (Conferencia del Episcopado 
Dominicano)  publishes two pastoral letters annually, 
addressing a social or political issue and representing the 
collective voice of the Catholic hierarchy.   For a number of 
years the initial draft has been furnished by retired bishop 
Jose Arnaiz, of Spanish nationality.  The Council is headed 
by Archbishop of Santiago Ramon Benito Rosa y Carpio.  During 
recent years of economic crisis the Council has occasionally 
issued special letters.  These pastoral letters are formal 
expressions of the Church,s views on current events and 
carry significant weight with the people.  They are published 
but generally not read out from the pulpit.  One key event in 
the repudiation of the Trujillo dictatorship was the 
publication of a pastoral letter in January, 1960, sharply 
critical of Trujillo; on the 44th anniversary of Trujillo's 
assassination, May 30 of this year, the Archbishop accepted 
from the "Foundation of the Heros of May 30" their annual 
"Freedom Award" for the bishops' role in undermining 
Trujillo's authority. 
 
President Fernandez generally limits his interaction with the 
Catholic Church hierarchy to protocol events, such as 
attendance at masses on major national holidays.  Some 
political observers see Fernandez as essentially secular and 
uncomfortable with the Church.  There was adverse reaction in 
the press when the President chose not to attend the funeral 
of Pope John Paul II, sending instead his wife Margarita 
Cedeno de Fernandez.  Fernandez did travel to Rome for the 
consecration of Pope Benedict XVI. 
 
The Activists 
 
Many Dominican priests are deeply involved in community work. 
  For example, Father Christopher Hartley, a Spanish/British 
priest who took leave from St Patrick,s cathedral in New 
York in 1996 and has remained here since then, has devoted a 
great amount of time working with communities in the sugar 
cane fields called "bateyes." He publicly criticizes working 
conditions and the practices of the authorities and 
plantation owners.  In late 2004 he was assigned police 
protection after threats were made against him.  Fr Hartley 
has served as the focus for exposes of batey conditions done 
by the Miami-based New Herald and Miami Herald and by the 
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. 
 
Father Rogelio Cruz, an activist in the region of Nagua, on 
the northern coast, was received privately by President 
Fernandez during a February visit to the region.  Father Luis 
Rosario, National Coordinator of Youth Pastors, organizes 
programs for youth and speaks out about juvenile delinquency, 
drug-related gangs and other issues.  A Belgian priest serves 
as community spokesperson for the border area of Jimani, in 
the south, and the Bishop of the northern town of Mao has 
spoken out in recent days to protest the expulsions of 
Haitians around the northern border post of Dajabon. Fr 
Regino Martinez runs the Jesuit Service for Refugees and 
Migrants at Dajabon and was a prominent critic of recent 
roundups of Haitians for expulsion. 
 
Father Jorge Cela has specialized in NGO work and is 
currently affiliated with "Fe y Alegria," a local NGO. Father 
Cela in a recent meeting with us argued that the roles of the 
Church are as a mediator for society and politics, and as a 
defender of the poor. Once the Church steps out of these two 
roles, it loses credibility, in his judgment. In comments 
that echoed those made to us by Nuncio Fr Broglio, Cela noted 
that most clergy and church-affiliated institutions do not 
speak out publicly, but their work benefits the society at 
least as much as the public pronouncements of the church 
hierarchy. 
 
Above the Fray, Not Willing to Point the Finger 
 
In summary, the Catholic Church plays the role of active 
observer and commentator for the Dominican Republic.  Its 
messages are predictable, moralistic, and often discounted. 
It is very rare for a church leader to single out by name any 
individual.  Monsignor Agripino Nunez, known more for secular 
than for religious accomplishments, epitomizes the Church,s 
role as a helpful mediator expressing concern about the moral 
challenges to democratic government and politics. Corruption 
has rarely touched the church, a notable distinction in a 
country in which influence peddling and graft have long 
characterized both public and private sectors.  Ordinary 
Dominicans have little belief in the functioning of most 
other institutions, but many still turn to the Catholic 
Church to mediate and to articulate their needs. 
 
2. (U) Research and drafting by Sheena Stevens. 
 
3.  (U) This piece and others may be consulted on our SIPRNET 
site, 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/wha/santodomingo< /a>  along with 
extensive other material. 
Hertell