Carlos Tomás Morel Diplán Installed as Military Ordinary in Santo Domingo
Carlos Tomás Morel Diplán took canonical possession as Military Ordinary of the Dominican Republic in a ceremony at the Primate Cathedral of America, attended by President Luis Abinader.
Carlos Tomás Morel Diplán took canonical possession as Military Ordinary of the Dominican Republic in a ceremony held at the Primate Cathedral of America, in Santo Domingo. The event brought together members of the Police, the Army, the Air Force and the Navy, and was attended by President Luis Abinader and his wife, who followed the Mass from the front pews of the church.
During the celebration, Morel Diplán thanked Pope Leo XIV for the appointment. The military ordinariate is responsible for the spiritual care of the armed forces and the police. It is a specific pastoral structure within the Catholic Church that serves those who work in the state's security institutions and their families, and it takes on a particular significance in a context where uniformed personnel face violence and crime on a daily basis.
The appointment comes at a time of changes in the country's ecclesiastical hierarchy. On October 12, Morel Diplán was named Archbishop of Santo Domingo, and the pope accepted the resignation of Francisco Ozoria Acosta from both positions, that of Archbishop of the capital and that of Military Ordinary. With this decision, Morel Diplán now holds two responsibilities: leading the archdiocese and providing pastoral care to the security forces.
In his pastoral plan, the new ordinary intends to offer members of the armed forces and the police the administration of the sacraments, catechesis, the practice of charity and human promotion. With this approach, the care is not limited to worship but also includes formation in the faith and accompaniment in the personal and family life of those who serve in these institutions. In this framework, Morel Diplán invited chaplains to accompany officers who, in the course of their work, face violence and crime every day, a call aimed at supporting those who bear a constant and demanding responsibility.
As part of the new administration, the work team that will assist Morel Diplán in leading the ordinariate was announced. Its members include Vicar General Geraldo Ramírez and Chancellor Joaquín Domínguez Ureña, along with other vicars and the vice-chancellor, whose names complete the new administrative structure. Likewise, a team of chaplains was formed for the Army, the Navy, the Air Force and the Police, so that each institution has its own pastoral care within the same structure.
The ceremony made evident the relationship between the Church and the country's security institutions, with the presence of senior commanders and the head of state himself in the nation's primate church. With the taking of office, the military ordinariate begins a stage in which it must coordinate its work with the capital's archdiocese, a task that combines care for uniformed personnel with the pastoral responsibilities of the see of Santo Domingo.
Source: dominicanrepublicpost.com
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