Two General Authority Seventies and members of the Caribbean Area Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints recently met with the head of the Roman Catholic Church in the Dominican Republic. The purpose of their meeting was to strengthen ties of friendship and explore opportunities for Christian cooperation and common service to benefit the region.
First Counselor Elder Hugo Montoya and Second Counselor Elder Ahmad S. Corbitt of the Church’s Caribbean Regional Presidency visited Monsignor Carlos Tomás Morell Diplan, Co-Judge Archbishop of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo, and Father Nelson Clark at the offices of the Bishops’ Conference.
The March 17th interfaith conference was reported on the Church’s Caribbean Newsroom.
During the meeting, leaders of both religions identified key areas of cooperation and reaffirmed their common commitment to promoting and protecting the holistic well-being of all peoples.
Elders Montoya and Corbitt expressed their admiration and support for the social services provided by the Catholic Church through the global Catholic humanitarian organizations Caritas and Fe y Alegría.
Elder Montoya and Elder Corbitt announced details regarding the future construction of the Santiago Dominican Republic Temple announced by the late President Russell M. Nelson during the October 2024 general conference. Church leaders said the new Lord’s House will serve Latter-day Saints in the northern region of the country. Details regarding the temple’s groundbreaking ceremony have not yet been announced.
The group discussed and agreed on the importance of religious freedom as a fundamental pillar for strengthening social peace and family values in the country.
Catholic leaders were also open to inviting General Authority Seventies to BYU’s International Law and Religion Symposium in Provo, Utah.
The meeting concluded with Monsignor Morel, Elder Montoya, and Elder Corbitt expressing their enthusiasm for working together to build a stronger society centered on Christian principles.
Elders Montoya and Corbitt presented the Catholic leader with a small replica of Bartel Thorvaldsen’s Christus statue. “He was grateful for this and recognized the ‘Risen Christ,'” Elder Montoya told Church News.
Last October, Elder Corbitt, then Presiding Bishop Gerald Cosse (now Elder Cosse of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles), and other local Church members donated new medical equipment to a hospital in Santo Domingo on behalf of the Church and met with Raquel Albaje, First Lady of the Dominican Republic.
