Msgr. Agripino Nunez Collado denied yesterday that a crisis has arisen between the Catholic Church and the government following statements made by the Bishop of La Vega, Msgr. Antonio Camilo, and he regretted that the case is being treated as a political issue. He assured that Msgr. Camilo is one of the most dedicated bishops in the Church, “very well balanced”, and understands that his words of criticism could have been the result of emotion, according to a report in Diario Libre. The La Vega priest harshly criticized the government’s economic and social policies last Saturday during the celebration of mass during one of the most important religious holidays in the DR, the day of Our Lady of Las Mercedes. Nunez Collado stated that in a society with so many problems, it is natural to talk about those problems. He was satisfied with the President’s attitude towards this issue stating that Fernandez had received the criticism with serenity. Nunez Collado insisted that Msgr. Camilo’s comments had not affected relations between the Church and the government.<\/p>\n
Listin Diario reports that government spokesman Roberto Rodriguez Marchena described relations between the government and the Catholic Church as “excellent” and that there is no hostility towards bishops and priests for their criticism and demands for the solution of the country’s problems. He said President Fernandez is concerned about the poverty in the country and warned against confrontation with the bishops because they are expressing their communities’ concerns, which is part of their pastoral duty.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Msgr. Agripino Nunez Collado denied yesterday that a crisis has arisen between the Catholic Church and the government following statements made by the Bishop of La Vega, Msgr. Antonio Camilo, and he regretted that the case is being treated as a political issue. He assured that Msgr. Camilo is one of the most dedicated bishops … <\/p>\n