The Conferencia del Episcopado Dominicano, the ruling body of the Roman Catholic Church in the DR, denied it was behind the request of Pastoral Juvenil Catholic Church group that requested the Dominican government give Dominican birth certificates to hundreds of Haitians that are born in the DR to Haitian parents, most of which do not have birth certificates themselves and live in extreme poverty in the DR. Monsignor Francisco José Arnaiz, secretary general of the Episcopado, and spokesman for the religious group said that in 1996 the Dominican and Haitian Catholic churches established a joint position on the issue when in a joint declaration on 12 October 1996 they stated: "We are concerned that so many people lack an ID document, as having one in today’s modern world is a fundamental right. We make an urgent call to governments of both countries so that to each it be demanded that they facilitate the procuring of the document." The church spokesman said they maintain the same position. In the opinion of the Church, it is evident that one has to distinguish between the case of Dominican children and the case of the children born to Haitians that are illegal residents. He said that the cases need to be resolved following the legislation of each nation. The Dominican Constitution does not grant Dominican nationality to the children born of Haitian parents. If one of the parents is a Dominican, than the child can acquire the nationality of the mother, but extensive paperwork has to be completed. The Haitian Constitution recognizes the children of Haitians as Haitians down to the third generation, regardless of where they are born. Monsignor Arnaiz clarified that the position of the Pastoral Juvenil, spurred by Padre Luis Rosario, is not that of the Catholic Church. He denied that Cardinal Nicolás López Rodríguez had placed a calling to urge National Congress act on the matter, as reported in the Dominican press and picked up by this daily news service.
