Roman Catholicism in the Dominican Republic

The Catholic Church in Dominican Republic is part of the worldwide Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope in Rome.

The Catholic Church is the world's largest Christian Church, and its largest religious grouping. There are an estimated 7.6 million baptised Catholics in the Dominican Republic, (78% of the population), in 11 territorial dioceses and one military ordinariate, served by 800 priests.

Hierarchy

Within the Dominican Republic the hierarchy consists of:

• Archbishopric
  • Bishopric

Map of Dominican Republic with cities

• Santiago de los Caballeros
  • La Vega
  • Mao-Monte Cristi
  • Puerto Plata
  • San Francisco de Macorís
• Santo Domingo
  • Baní
  • Barahona
  • Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia en Higüey
  • San Juan de la Maguana
  • San Pedro de Macorís

Church in society

The Dominican Republic offers religious freedom, but the Catholic Church still enjoys certain favors, in particular due to a 1954 concordat with the Vatican. Under Rafael Trujillo's government, the power of the Catholic Church was limited. Although the Church remained apolitical during much of the Trujillo era, a 1960 pastoral letter of protest against mass arrests of government opponents seriously strained the relationship with the government.

See also

• List of Central American and Caribbean Saints

References and notes

• Dominican Republic-International Religious Freedom Report 2005, U.S. Department of State. November 8, 2005. Retrieved July 13, 2006.