Pope praises bishops of Dominican Republic for helping emigrants

Published: 2007-07-05

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Benedict XVI praised the bishops of the Dominican Republic for their programs to help emigrating Dominicans and to assist the thousands of Haitian refugees who have sought a better life in the Dominican Republic. The problem of migration in the Caribbean is complex and has an impact on hundreds of thousands of families, he told the bishops July 5 at the end of their "ad limina" visits to the Vatican to report on the status of their dioceses. Archbishop Ramon de la Rosa Carpio of Santiago, president of the bishops' conference, told the pope that the bishops of the Dominican Republic and of Haiti meet frequently to assist one another and to strengthen their ministry to the migrants. He also said bishops from throughout the Caribbean are meeting more frequently to deal with common concerns, such as "the growing migration between the islands, tourism" and the plans of various governments to promote greater economic integration in the region.

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