Cardinal apologizes for offending individuals and groups

Santo Domingo.- After several months ofsilence, Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez has asked God to forgive himfor the people and communities he may have offended during his service asmetropolitan archbishop of Santo Domingo, and said he had always been moved bythe sincerest love for God, for the Church and for the Dominican homeland.

In a letter, López Rodríguez declared that he had never held any bitterness against anyone who had showed resistanceor expressed rejection or disagreement with him.

He went on to express his joy at theappointment of Monsignor Francisco Ozoria Acosta as his successor. He will takethe reins on September 10th.

Quoting the first Epistle of Paul to Timothy, the prelatesaid: “I have fought the good fight, I have finishedthe race, I have kept the faith. Nowthere is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, therighteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also toall who have longed for his appearing.”

He asked people to pray for him in thisnew phase of his priestly life.

“I will still be living in the capitalcity and through prayer and anything else I can serve with I will also be close tothe new Archbishop and to you all,” he concluded.