The Concordat of 1954 is a treaty

Treaty

A treaty is an express agreement under international law entered into by actors in international law, namely sovereign states and international organizations. A treaty may also be known as an agreement, protocol, covenant, convention or exchange of letters, among other terms...

 concluded between the diplomats of the Holy See

Holy See

The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...

 and the leadership of the Dominican Republic

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic is a nation on the island of La Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region. The western third of the island is occupied by the nation of Haiti, making Hispaniola one of two Caribbean islands that are shared by two countries...

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Status of the Church

The Dominican Republic offers religious freedom, but the Catholic Church still enjoys certain rights, in particular due to the concordat.

Public funds for Church needs

Use of public funds for Church needs and low customs duties on Church goods are two favors given to the Catholic Church by the government.

Catholic marriage ceremonies

Catholic marriage ceremonies are the only religious marriage ceremonies that are recognized by the state, but legal marriages are also available. Certain Protestant churches have also asked for official recognition under this agreement.

Relations with the Rafael Trujillo regime

Under Rafael Trujillo's government, the power of the Catholic Church was limited. Although the Church remained apolitical during much of the Trujillo era, a 1960 pastoral letter of protest against mass arrests of government opponents seriously strained the relationship with the government. The papal nuncio’s attempts to administer humanitarian aid during the 1965 civil war were hampered and the struggle intensified.

Relations in the 1970s and 1980s

The bishops continued to issue statements of protest against human rights violations and poor living standards for the population throughout the 1970s and the 1980s.