The Dominican Catholic Church delivered its usual poignant and introspective Sermon of the Seven Words (Sermón de las Siete Palabras) on Good Friday, 3 April 2026, at the Catedral Primada de América in the Colonial City. Listín Diario reported that this year’s oratory marked a distinct shift from the confrontational social activism of 2025, pivoting toward spiritual self-criticism, a crisis of empathy, and the erosion of traditional family values.
While the Church maintained its role as a social watchdog, the 2026 sermons prioritized internal reflection and the moral fiber of the nation over specific legislative or industrial disputes.
Key highlights from the Seven Sermons:
• First Word (“Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do”): Reverend Francisco Benito Alvarado Herrera offered a rare and public act of ecclesiastical self-criticism. He asked for forgiveness for times when the Church has been “better friends with the government official and the desk than with the sick, the elderly, or the immigrant,” noting that the institution at times becomes distracted by personal projects rather than the truth of Jesus.
• Second Word (“Today you will be with me in paradise”): Father Mario De la Cruz Campusano addressed the widening economic divide. He contrasted the struggle of workers living on a minimum wage of RD$16,000 with the multi-million peso salaries enjoyed by high-ranking government officials, calling for a more equitable distribution of wealth.
• Third Word (“Woman, behold your son”): Shifting from 2025’s focus on citizen security, Father José Rosado Acosta highlighted the dignity of women. He drew parallels between the suffering of the Virgin Mary and Dominican mothers who provide for their households alone while facing abandonment and violence.
• Fourth and Fifth Words (“My God, why have you forsaken me?” and “I thirst”): The 2026 rhetoric focused on the plight of youth unemployment and the duty of politicians to serve the populace. This stood in contrast to the previous year, which centered on traffic accidents and the precarious conditions within the Dominican prison system.
• Seventh Word (“Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit”): The final sermon, delivered by Lourdes Martínez Arcángel, served as a cultural critique. She lamented the destruction of family values, blaming “exported education” and the promotion of music with explicit content. This was a notable departure from 2025, when the closing plea demanded that femicides be declared a national emergency.
Comparative analysis: 2025 vs. 2026
According to the Listín Diario report, the 2025 sermons were characterized by “direct and confrontational” attacks on specific local issues, such as mining in Sánchez Ramírez and the Barrick Gold tailings dam. In 2026, however, the Church adopted a more “universal and spiritual” tone, focusing on the loss of empathy and the need for a collective moral awakening within the Dominican Republic.
Read more in Spanish:
Listin Diario
El Dia
Diario Libre
6 April 2026