Santo Domingo.- The Catholic Church apologized to Dominicans, asking understanding and indulgence and acknowledged committing errors, and for not always being true to its faith, vocation and responsibility.

The Church’s reflections are in the Pastoral Letter disclosed by the Dominican Episcopal Conference yesterday, to mark the 500 years since the Santo Domingo Archdioces was founded, presented in “a panorama in broad strokes which the Church’s presence and actions among us has meant.”

“We don’t feel that we have done it well either. We confess to having committed our errors and not always have been in keeping with our faith, vocation and responsibilities, and for that reason we ask for pardon and we beseech the understanding and indulgence of all Dominicans,” it said.

In the Letter however the bishops note that the Catholic Church was the only institution which the tyranny of Rafael Trujillo couldn’t control absolutely and because of its sense of freedom and involvement with the people supported and in a certain manner incarnated the opposition against that regime.

“Its presence has always been liberal. Manuel de Jesus Galván could truthfully affirm that: theocracy isn’t known here. The Clergy is as liberal as the people and shares in its pains, in its great struggles, in their patriotic enthusiasms.”