The Pope regrets the lack of Dominican Republic-Haiti talks

Pope Francis and the Dominican president Danilo Medina

Vatican City.- Pope Francis on Friday regretted the lack of dialogue between the Dominican Republic’s and Haiti’s authorities, to find a solution to the nigh number of migrants and displaced people.

The leader of the world’s more than one billion Catholics also requested a response to the shortcomings of the Haitian people, and lamented the lack of dialogue between the authorities of the two countries that share the island of Hispaniola.

The Dominican Republic and Haiti have broken off talks since late last year, in the heels of Port-au-Prince’s political turmoil.

"The Holy Father expressed concern about the social problems of the Americas in general, including the US election that lacks a more lively social situation to assist the poorest and the most excluded; social, economic and political conflicts in Venezuela, Brazil, Bolivia and Argentina; the shortcomings of the Haitian people and the lack of dialogue between the authorities of the countries that share the island, Haiti and the Dominican Republic, to find a legal solution to migrants and displaced and how to understand what is a secular state by some authorities in Mexico and the role of religious freedom," Vatican Radio reported to the Latin American Episcopal Council (CELAM).

The Vatican Radio report, signed by Mercedes De La Torre, said Pope Francis met at the Vatican with the presidency of CELAM) and suggested them to implement the ‘Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii Gaudium,’ which aims to improve the position of lay persons within the church.

Source : Dominican Today