Pope Leon XIV to consider 2027 visit to the Dominican Republic

Archbishop Carlos Tomás Morel Diplán, the co‑adjutor of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo, said that Pope Leon XIV promised to put a possible visit to the Dominican Republic on his agenda for 2027. The prelate recalled the Pope’s personal greeting to Dominican Catholics in La Vega and used the meeting to extend a formal invitation, noting that no pope has visited the country since 1992. Morel Diplán also warned that widespread corruption has drained public resources, forcing costly fiscal reforms that affect ordinary families, and urged political leaders to act responsibly.

He highlighted that a papal visit would be the first in 35 years and could include a broader Caribbean pastoral tour, encompassing Puerto Rico, Cuba, Haiti and other nearby islands. The archbishop stressed the symbolic importance of such a trip for the Dominican Catholic community and the region.