NewsWhore
07-13-2006, 03:10 PM
Several Catholic priests have expressed agreement with Papal Nuncio Msgr. Timothy Broglio who said that any possible modification of the Concordat should not be done through the Supreme Court of Justice, as requested by an evangelical religious organization. Representatives of other churches believe, however, that no particular religion should enjoy any privileges.
According to a report by El Caribe, Broglio said yesterday that the Supreme Court has no jurisdiction to process an unconstitutionality recourse against the agreement with the Holy See signed by Trujillo in 1954, in which the Roman Catholic faith is awarded the status of "official religion" in the Dominican Republic. According to the Nuncio, this is an agreement "between two states" and is above the Constitution of the Republic. Attorneys Domingo Porfirio Rojas Nina and Ramon Antonio Veras think otherwise. They believe that the High Court has the faculty to hear any case that concerns violations of the nation's Constitution.
The evangelical church that filed the recourse considers that the Concordat creates privileges for the Roman Catholic Church, contrary to several articles in the Constitution that guarantee freedom of religion and the prohibition of privileges. A movement has started in the DR within members of Protestant Churches seeking the same privileges as those awarded to the Catholic Church. Recently, these churches were favored by a court ruling allowing evangelical pastors to perform weddings with the same legal status as ceremonies by Catholic priests. Now a new movement has started seeking the annulment of the Concordat.
Cristo Rey priest, Ely Pena told El Caribe newspaper that the reasons for the Concordat no longer exist. He explained that it was signed at a time when there were no guarantees for citizens, when the country was living under a dictatorship.
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)
According to a report by El Caribe, Broglio said yesterday that the Supreme Court has no jurisdiction to process an unconstitutionality recourse against the agreement with the Holy See signed by Trujillo in 1954, in which the Roman Catholic faith is awarded the status of "official religion" in the Dominican Republic. According to the Nuncio, this is an agreement "between two states" and is above the Constitution of the Republic. Attorneys Domingo Porfirio Rojas Nina and Ramon Antonio Veras think otherwise. They believe that the High Court has the faculty to hear any case that concerns violations of the nation's Constitution.
The evangelical church that filed the recourse considers that the Concordat creates privileges for the Roman Catholic Church, contrary to several articles in the Constitution that guarantee freedom of religion and the prohibition of privileges. A movement has started in the DR within members of Protestant Churches seeking the same privileges as those awarded to the Catholic Church. Recently, these churches were favored by a court ruling allowing evangelical pastors to perform weddings with the same legal status as ceremonies by Catholic priests. Now a new movement has started seeking the annulment of the Concordat.
Cristo Rey priest, Ely Pena told El Caribe newspaper that the reasons for the Concordat no longer exist. He explained that it was signed at a time when there were no guarantees for citizens, when the country was living under a dictatorship.
Link To Original Article (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#6)