President Leonel Fernández inaugurated three Roman Catholic Churches in the city of Santo Domingo. The state built the churches at a cost of RD$15 million to tax payers. The churches are the San Ignacio de Antoquía in Hainamosa, San Maxiliamo Korbe in Los Frailes, and San Juan de Avila in Los Mameyes. Felix Bautista, director of the Oficina Coordinadora de Obras del Estado, said the keynote speech. Pablo Cedano, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo spoke for the Catholic Church. Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus López Rodriguez’s absence was noteworthy. The Cardinal recently criticized the government’s intention to build nine 22-floor luxury towers on grounds of the Plaza de la Salud, the high tech government-built medical complex. Cardinal López Rodríguez presides the board of the Plaza de la Salud. While construction has been suspended on the towers, the Ministry of Public Health announced that a forum would be held to discuss the future of the health complex and the construction of the towers. President Joaquín Balaguer, under whose government the medical center was built, has strongly opposed their construction.
