The Dominican Catholic Church reacted with surprise yesterday, Monday 11 February, to the announcement by Pope Benedict XVI that he was resigning due to health reasons. After the impact of the news from Vatican City, the Church leadership remains in prayer and has called on followers to include the Pope in their prayers. The vice-president of the Dominican Conference of Bishops, Monsignor Gregorio Nicanor Pena Rodriguez, the Bishop of Higuey, called on Christians to unite in prayer so that the Almighty blesses them with a Pope who is in touch with the current times. Pena Rodriguez praised His Holiness Benedict XVI’s decision to leave his ministry as a grand gesture of sincerity and bravery, for reasons that he described as “very valid.”
The Auxiliary Bishop of Santo Domingo, Monsignor Amancio Escapa, said that he was impacted by the news, although he recognized the right that is granted by the Code of Canonic Law to resign. He praised Benedict XVI’s work during his eight years in the papacy. “He was excellent. He is a man that has given his life for the Church for many years… he has been extraordinary in every way.” Meanwhile, Monsignor Ramon Benito de la Rosa y Carpio, the archbishop of the dioceses of Santiago, said that the resignation leaves a feeling of surprise, despite the fact that this is not the first time it has happened in the Church.