Will The Pope Visit Puerto Plata?

Ken · Aug 9, 2013

From today's Sosua News:

Next year, in 2014, it is the 520th anniversary of the first Mass read in the new world in the settlement 'La Isabela' (near Luper?n). The settlement can be seen as the first city founded by Europeans (Spaniards) in the new world. Columbus named the city to the Spanish Queen Isabela: 'La Isabela'. The town was walled and Bartholomeus, the brother of Columbus, was appointed mayor. Columbus went inland to find gold but he only encountered yellow fever and other hardships. Gold he didn't find during this trip, but he did receive information where it could possibly be found.

The Holy Mass was read on January 6, 1494 by Brother Bernardo Boyl.

For the Minister of Tourism, Francisco Javier Garc?a this is an opportunity to invite Pope Francis to attend a Mass in the oldest church in Latin America. According to many, a visit of the Pope to Puerto Plata could mean a huge boost for tourism.

dv8 · Aug 9, 2013

i'm rather thinking he'd celebrate that in SD. and an occasion like this is a short burst in tourism. with visitors not really into spending money either.

belgiank · Aug 9, 2013

After reading the title of the post, I thought Francis was going to visit Blackbeard's...

Chip must be ****ing his pants out of excitement right now...

BelgianK

Tamborista · Aug 9, 2013

belgiank said:
After reading the title of the post, I thought Francis was going to visit Blackbeard's...

Chip must be ****ing his pants out of excitement right now...

BelgianK

I am sure he will even have that polyester suit pressed for the occasion.

windeguy · Aug 9, 2013

520 years of misleading people in the new world. Great, just great.

NALs · Aug 9, 2013

There is a church just south of the La Isabela ruins that was built in the early 90s and the then Pope John Paul II did a mass there to commemorate the first mass in the New World.

The first mass took place under a tree near which another small tree was planted in colonial time and is the tree currently alive at the site of the ruins. At least this is according to what the guide told me. Don't confuse this with the Guayac?n tree by the cliff which has been there since before Columbus and company founded La Isabela!

The church is in much need of a coat of paint on the outside and definitely on the inside and also needs a few windows replaced. This event could definitely give the government reason enough to give this building a much needed maintenance!

And yes, I did said government because every single Catholic church in the country is the responsibility of the Dominican government for maintenance, renovations, etc.

Wishing you well · Aug 9, 2013

Ken said:
For the Minister of Tourism, Francisco Javier Garc?a this is an opportunity to invite Pope Francis to attend a Mass in the oldest church in Latin America. According to many, a visit of the Pope to Puerto Plata could mean a huge boost for tourism.

So he can see a bunch of putas y los maricones del cardenal?

belgiank · Aug 10, 2013

NALs said:
There is a church just south of the La Isabela ruins that was built in the early 90s and the then Pope John Paul II did a mass there to commemorate the first mass in the New World.

The first mass took place under a tree near which another small tree was planted in colonial time and is the tree currently alive at the site of the ruins. At least this is according to what the guide told me. Don't confuse this with the Guayac?n tree by the cliff which has been there since before Columbus and company founded La Isabela!

The church is in much need of a coat of paint on the outside and definitely on the inside and also needs a few windows replaced. This event could definitely give the government reason enough to give this building a much needed maintenance!

And yes, I did said government because every single Catholic church in the country is the responsibility of the Dominican government for maintenance, renovations, etc.

Why is it the responsability of the government? First of all the government has more pressing issues, like education and healthcare, and secondly the church is rich enough to buy a couple of paint buckets...

Hey, they could even get some of the priests to take a brush in their hands, and let them do some painting...

BelgianK

Seamonkey · Aug 10, 2013

I vote that he stays home, we have enough pedophiles in this country.

Wishing you well · Aug 10, 2013

Roflmao!

Me_again · Aug 10, 2013

Don't confuse this with the Guayac?n tree by the cliff which has been there since before Columbus and company founded La Isabela!

Thanks for that: Guayac?n. Now I know the name of the tree where we took photos of ourselves a few years ago.

pollogringo · Aug 10, 2013

belgiank said:
Why is it the responsability of the government? First of all the government has more pressing issues, like education and healthcare, and secondly the church is rich enough to buy a couple of paint buckets...

Hey, they could even get some of the priests to take a brush in their hands, and let them do some painting...

BelgianK

I don't think NALs is suggesting the government has a true moral responsibility to maintain church property. But rather noting the way the two paramours interact based on Trujillo's Concordat and the way the Church slid its way into the constitution in 2009.

NALs · Aug 10, 2013

belgiank said:
Why is it the responsability of the government? First of all the government has more pressing issues, like education and healthcare, and secondly the church is rich enough to buy a couple of paint buckets...

Hey, they could even get some of the priests to take a brush in their hands, and let them do some painting...

BelgianK

Its the responsibility of the government because, well, it is. The Dominican government sets aside a certain amount of the national budget for all the Catholic churches because the Iglesia Cat?lica Romana y Apost?lica is the official religion of the Dominican Republic.

I suggest you visit the cathedral in downtown Santiago. It was recently completely renovated and is now one of the most beautiful churches anywhere! As a bonus, the tomb of Ulises Hereaux is also on display inside the church.

The government paid for that too!

Saman? also has a new Catholic church by its malecon. I suggest you go and check it out, because you and every other expat/tourist/DR resident helped pay for its construction.

I can't believe many of you are paying all those sales taxes and other types of taxes and don't even know where part of it is spent!

NALs · Aug 10, 2013

Me_again said:
Thanks for that: Guayac?n. Now I know the name of the tree where we took photos of ourselves a few years ago.

It's amazing that such a small tree can be so old! I thought centuries old trees would look like the Ceiba trees that are found in many rural areas and even in many towns, but many of those live for thousands of years and are huge.

When the guide said that to me, I thought to myself that it would be nice to touch its trunk, you just never know who else touched it 500 years ago; but then it hit me, much more than touching, there's a much greater likelihood that Columbus et al all peed on it. Just think about it. LOL

belgiank · Aug 10, 2013

NALs said:
Its the responsibility of the government because, well, it is. The Dominican government sets aside a certain amount of the national budget for all the Catholic churches because the Iglesia Cat?lica Romana y Apost?lica is the official religion of the Dominican Republic.

I suggest you visit the cathedral in downtown Santiago. It was recently completely renovated and is now one of the most beautiful churches anywhere! As a bonus, the tomb of Ulises Hereaux is also on display inside the church.

The government paid for that too!

Saman? also has a new Catholic church by its malecon. I suggest you go and check it out, because you and every other expat/tourist/DR resident helped pay for its construction.

I can't believe many of you are paying all those sales taxes and other types of taxes and don't even know where part of it is spent!

I may have paid for it... unknowingly... and I may not be able to avoid paying for it... but damn, I am not going to visit it....

Let those guys (joking here....) in charge, put their money where it is needed first...

BelgianK

dv8 · Aug 10, 2013

i have already seen a pope once, jp2. nothing to write home about: crowd, crowd, crowd. waving flags, children to the front, people crying. the only positive? day off work in the whole city.

Jumbo · Aug 11, 2013

I can see him doing a drive by, then cruise thru Santiago and say a big outdoor mass in La Capital before getting out of Dodge. In by 9AM and out by 9PM.

dv8 · Aug 11, 2013

in any case it would mean zero tourists. few would come to DR from other countries since pope usually does few countries in one go, like a rock bank on tour. those who would come locally would most likely just come for the mass, possibly on one day trip package, similar to those for a day on the beach.

Chip · Aug 11, 2013

dv8 said:
in any case it would mean zero tourists. few would come to DR from other countries since pope usually does few countries in one go, like a rock bank on tour. those who would come locally would most likely just come for the mass, possibly on one day trip package, similar to those for a day on the beach.

According to this news report millions went to mass on the beach in Brasil to hear the Pope so you might want to rethink that statement.

Pope Francis in Brazil: Millions gather in Copacabana Beach to hear Mass.

dv8 · Aug 11, 2013

i don't have to rethink anything. they went to the mass, not t spend few days in a hotel, eating in local restaurants and so on. and brazil is much bigger than DR.

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