The path of the Church of the first democratic tradition of America

In the following text a series of testimonies from men and women religious are placed on the scant development of the so-called Base Ecclesial Communities (CEBs) in the Dominican Church that, despite having a past of commitment to the poor, presents an ambivalence in closeness to the oppressed. A very brief historical journey is presented on the relationship between the Church and the Dominican State, and then we go on to the experience of priests and religious committed to a church close to the impoverished communities of the country, both in the neighborhoods of the capital city and in rural areas.

The text does not pretend to be an exhaustive study of the social commitment of the Dominican Catholic Church or a history of the church in the country; but rather the approach of the author to an experience that has been significant for Latin America, however, in the Dominican Republic it did not have the expected presence: The Base Ecclesial Communities. Finally, the authors of the testimonials have been left anonymous to respect their privacy.