More than 2000 pastors will be able to perform non-Catholic marriages
Independent churches seen with some worry
Diario Libre
SD. Just the pastors who are qualified to officiate legal marriages by the Dominican Council of Evangelical Unity (Codue) and by the Seventh Day Adventist Church number more than 2000 all over the country according to the estimates by the leaders of these congregations who said that the bride and groom only should pay the quotas set by law.
Pastor Silvestre Gonzalez, the secretary general of the Adventist church, foresees that between 80 and 100 ordained ministers will be capable of officiating legal nuptials, to attend the 1,170 churches and a membership of 285,000. At the same time, Fidel Lorenzo, the president of Codue, estimates that between 2000 and 2500 evangelical pastors will be authorized to officiate at 5,800 churches registered and over a million parishioners.
The ministers now have to go through the accreditation process at the Central Electoral Board (JCE) and fulfill a series of training sessions. This comes after the Plenary of the JCE, which is in charge of al Civil Registration issues, approved the night before last the Regulations for the Application of Law 198-11 which regulates Religious Marriages to be held in non-Catholic Christian churches.
Although the religious representatives consider this as a step forward and celebrate the legal validity of the non-Catholic marriages, the evangelical leadership look at the independent churches with some worry. Lorenzo said that they will be watchful in order that this opening will be used properly.
Nonetheless, the Adventists stress that all of their congregations are registered, which will allow them to keep control of the marriages that they officiate. "Nobody will be able to use our names because the Central Electoral Board is going to accredit the ministers that we indicate are to be accredited," said Pastor Gonzalez, who took part in the meetings previous to the approval of the regulations between the churches and the JCE.
Regarding the Regulations
The regulations approved by the JCE indicate that the non-Catholic churches should not be subject or backed by an international agreement such as the Concordat between the Holy See and the Dominican state that was signed on 16 June 1954. Moreover, they have to have judicial status, have more than five years established in the country and designate which pastors, priests, ministers or religious officials will be authorized to officiate these unions. The Directorate of the Civil Registry will inspect the location of the places where the churches function and where they conserve and keep the Registration Books of the marriages.
Pastor Silvestre Gonzalez, the secretary general of the Adventist church, foresees that between 80 and 100 ordained ministers will be capable of officiating legal nuptials, to attend the 1,170 churches and a membership of 285,000. At the same time, Fidel Lorenzo, the president of Codue, estimates that between 2000 and 2500 evangelical pastors will be authorized to officiate at 5,800 churches registered and over a million parishioners.
The ministers now have to go through the accreditation process at the Central Electoral Board (JCE) and fulfill a series of training sessions. This comes after the Plenary of the JCE, which is in charge of al Civil Registration issues, approved the night before last the Regulations for the Application of Law 198-11 which regulates Religious Marriages to be held in non-Catholic Christian churches.
Although the religious representatives consider this as a step forward and celebrate the legal validity of the non-Catholic marriages, the evangelical leadership look at the independent churches with some worry. Lorenzo said that they will be watchful in order that this opening will be used properly.
Nonetheless, the Adventists stress that all of their congregations are registered, which will allow them to keep control of the marriages that they officiate. "Nobody will be able to use our names because the Central Electoral Board is going to accredit the ministers that we indicate are to be accredited," said Pastor Gonzalez, who took part in the meetings previous to the approval of the regulations between the churches and the JCE.
Regarding the Regulations
The regulations approved by the JCE indicate that the non-Catholic churches should not be subject or backed by an international agreement such as the Concordat between the Holy See and the Dominican state that was signed on 16 June 1954. Moreover, they have to have judicial status, have more than five years established in the country and designate which pastors, priests, ministers or religious officials will be authorized to officiate these unions. The Directorate of the Civil Registry will inspect the location of the places where the churches function and where they conserve and keep the Registration Books of the marriages.
Diario Libre
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