Religion in the Dominican Republic
Christianity is the most widely professed religion in the Dominican Republic. Historically, Catholicism dominated the religious practices of the country, and as the official religion of the state it receives financial support from the government. About 60% of Dominicans identify themselves as Catholic. Christianity Roman Catholicism The most professed denomination by far is Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic has formed a large part of the history of the country, and it is known as the largest humanitarian aid Institution, it is also in charge of school education in the area of Integral and Religious Human Formation and others also of the revision of it. The Dominican Catholic Church also has several media outlets including: • Multimedia Life (Televida) • The Voice of Mary • Udeca (Union of Catholic radio stations) Multimedia Vida is located in Santo Domingo and is from the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo. It hosts a TV statation, Televida (Channel 41) and a radio station Vida FM 105.3, also belonging to Radio ABC 540am in the National District; the director until now is Father Kennedy Rodríguez. The largest Christian TV in the country, La Voz de María, is based in the north; this broadcasts nationally and internationally, and has a Web Radio with headquarters in the Concepcion La Vega that transmits to the whole country. The Dominican Catholic Church also stands out for having one of the largest areas in the country and using Religious tourism that takes tours to sanctuaries and outstanding churches in the country, including: • Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of Altagracia (Higüey) • Cathedral of Santa María la Menor • Sanctuary of Our Lady of Las Mercedes. • Sacred Heart of Jesus Church of Moca. • Cathedral Santiago Apostle • Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception De la Vega. • New National Sanctuary Santo Cristo de los Milagros de Bayaguana Patroness: • Our Lady of Mercy. • Santo Domingo. Protector: Our Lady of Altagracia. Assembly of Bishops: Conferencia del Episcopado Dominicano Ecclesial Data in 2020: There are twelve ecclesiastical circumscriptions, two being archdioceses or metropolitan sees, nine dioceses and one military ordinariate. There are 648 parishes without counting the chapels and cathedrals and 1,056 pastoral care centers. There are 25 living bishops: a cardinal archbishop emeritus, a papal nuncio, three archbishops and 20 bishops. The following work in the country as pastoral agents: 1,073 priests (624 secular clergy and 449 religious clergy), 530 permanent deacons, 91 members of secular institutes, 35 lay missionaries, 267 brothers, 621 major seminarians, 3,125 consecrated religious, 50,114 catechists. Protestantism and other Christian religions Morgan Foley was the leader of Protestantism for women in the 1800s. During the 1820s, Protestants migrated to the Dominican Republic from the United States. West Indian Protestants arrived on the island late nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries, and by the 1920s, several Protestant organizations were established all throughout the country, which added diversity to the religious representation in the Dominican Republic. Many of the Protestant groups in DR had connections