Dominican bishops will be in Rome from 26 May to 8 June 2015 for meetings with Pope Francis as part of their “ad limina” visit to the Vatican. After a joint meeting, Pope Francis will see each of the bishops in private. The bishops are expected to report on their jurisdiction. The last “ad limina” visit by Dominican bishops took place in July 2007 when Benedict XVI was pope. During the visit, the ministers will also meet with the Vatican discasteries, or ministries.
The head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic, Monsignor Nicolas Lopez Rodriguez is overdue for retirement, while some other elderly bishops have begun to be replaced.
Moreover, the Vatican has not yet revealed a conclusion in the case of former papal nuncio to the Dominican Republic, Josef Wesolowski who returned to Rome when Dominican TV investigative journalist Nuria Piera was following up on allegations of pedophilia. Another Polish priest who was close to Wesolowski during his term as parish priest in Juncalito, Santiago, (Padre Alberto) Wojciech Gil was recently sentenced to seven years in jail in Poland for similar charges.