"The beginnings of evangelization in the American Continent always bring to mind the Dominican soil that received in the first place the rich deposit of faith, which the missionaries took with fidelity and proclaimed with constancy....
"The Church continues to walk today with her children in those dear lands in search of a happy and prosperous future; she meets with the great challenges of our time that affect social and ecclesial life, especially families. Therefore, I would like to appeal to you to support men, to reinforce the faith and the identity of all the members of the Church.
"Marriage and the family are going through a serious cultural crisis. But this does not mean that they have lost importance, but that their need is felt all the more. The family is the place where one learns to live together in differences, to forgive and to experience forgiveness, and where parents transmit values to their children and, singularly, the faith. Marriage 'seen as a mere form of affective gratification,' ceases to be an 'indispensable contribution' to society (cf. Evangelii gaudium, 66). In the forthcoming Jubilee of Mercy, do not fail in the work of matrimonial and family reconciliation, as a good of peaceful coexistence: 'ample catechesis on the Christian ideal of conjugal communion and of family life is urgent, which includes a spirituality of paternity and of maternity. It is necessary to give greater pastoral attention to the role of men as husbands and fathers, as well as to the responsibility they share with their wives in relation to marriage, the family and the education of the children' (Ecclesia in America, 42). Let us continue to present the beauty of Christian marriage: 'to be married in the Lord' is an act of faith and love, in which the spouses, through their free consent, become transmitters of the blessing and grace of God for the Church and for society.
"I invite you to dedicate time and to look after the priests, to take care of each one of them, to defend them from the wolves that also attack the pastors....
"The pastoral and charitable care of immigrants, especially those from neighboring Haiti, who seek better conditions of life in the Dominican territory, does not admit the indifference of the pastors of the Church....
"it is indispensable that the Dominican laity, which is perceived very present in the works of evangelization at the national, diocesan, parish and community level, not neglect its doctrinal and spiritual formation, and receive constant support, so that it is able to give witness of Christ by penetrating those environments where often the Bishops, priests and Religious do not reach. It is also necessary that the pastoral of young people receive careful attention so that they are not distracted by the confusion of the anti-values that seek to overwhelm youth today....
"Finally, to conclude, and keeping in mind the beauty and color of the countryside of the beautiful Dominican Republic, I invite all to renew their commitment for the conservation and care of the environment. Man's relation with nature must not be governed by greed, manipulation or unbridled exploitation, but it must preserve the divine harmony between the creatures and creation to put them at the service of all and of the future generations" (Pope Francis to the Bishops of the Dominican, 5/28/15).
"The Church continues to walk today with her children in those dear lands in search of a happy and prosperous future; she meets with the great challenges of our time that affect social and ecclesial life, especially families. Therefore, I would like to appeal to you to support men, to reinforce the faith and the identity of all the members of the Church.
"Marriage and the family are going through a serious cultural crisis. But this does not mean that they have lost importance, but that their need is felt all the more. The family is the place where one learns to live together in differences, to forgive and to experience forgiveness, and where parents transmit values to their children and, singularly, the faith. Marriage 'seen as a mere form of affective gratification,' ceases to be an 'indispensable contribution' to society (cf. Evangelii gaudium, 66). In the forthcoming Jubilee of Mercy, do not fail in the work of matrimonial and family reconciliation, as a good of peaceful coexistence: 'ample catechesis on the Christian ideal of conjugal communion and of family life is urgent, which includes a spirituality of paternity and of maternity. It is necessary to give greater pastoral attention to the role of men as husbands and fathers, as well as to the responsibility they share with their wives in relation to marriage, the family and the education of the children' (Ecclesia in America, 42). Let us continue to present the beauty of Christian marriage: 'to be married in the Lord' is an act of faith and love, in which the spouses, through their free consent, become transmitters of the blessing and grace of God for the Church and for society.
"I invite you to dedicate time and to look after the priests, to take care of each one of them, to defend them from the wolves that also attack the pastors....
"The pastoral and charitable care of immigrants, especially those from neighboring Haiti, who seek better conditions of life in the Dominican territory, does not admit the indifference of the pastors of the Church....
"it is indispensable that the Dominican laity, which is perceived very present in the works of evangelization at the national, diocesan, parish and community level, not neglect its doctrinal and spiritual formation, and receive constant support, so that it is able to give witness of Christ by penetrating those environments where often the Bishops, priests and Religious do not reach. It is also necessary that the pastoral of young people receive careful attention so that they are not distracted by the confusion of the anti-values that seek to overwhelm youth today....
"Finally, to conclude, and keeping in mind the beauty and color of the countryside of the beautiful Dominican Republic, I invite all to renew their commitment for the conservation and care of the environment. Man's relation with nature must not be governed by greed, manipulation or unbridled exploitation, but it must preserve the divine harmony between the creatures and creation to put them at the service of all and of the future generations" (Pope Francis to the Bishops of the Dominican, 5/28/15).
