The Catholic Church had strong words against the government during the Easter Saturday sermons. Archbishop of Santo Domingo, Cardinal Nicolas de Jesus Lopez Rodriguez, was equally critical in his Sunday sermon at the Cathedral of Santo Domingo. The archbishop said that there are signs of great disatisfaction and great poverty and that those who have the economic power in their hands are selfish and do not understand the problems. Catholic parishioners lashed out against the government when speaking their versions of the "Seven Last Words of Christ on the Cross" traditional sermon. The priests criticized the inefficiency of the government in resolving the social problems and scolded the demagoguery of politicians. Father Jose Luis Hernandez, of the San Carlos parish, was among the most critical. He said, "The government has not taken off, there is no initiative that may improve or change things. There is a President with good intentions, but few realizations; it is as if he is working alone." He criticized the government for doing nothing, only looking to the past to justify themselves, even when they know that it makes no sense to be in power only to criticize others and impose taxes without improving the basic services to the population. Father Jose Núñez of the Iglesia Santo Domingo Savio (Los Guandules) censured the fact that few are willing to stop seeing the state as a provider of personal riches. Father Ramon Antonio Araujo, of the San Maximiliano Kolbe Parish, said his brothers feel abandoned by those who have governed and who now govern the country. He said the politicians only show great potential when they are in the opposition, but when they reach power they become "more froth than chocolate." "They preach extensively that they will not deceive the people and when they reach power they become arrogant, indifferent to the poor and the only thing they seek is to enrich themselves with the goods of the people," he said.
