First non-Catholic wedding

Santo Domingo.- As of yesterday 32 ministers and pastors from non-Catholiccongregations can officiate religious weddings, after having fulfilled theregulations established by Law 198-11 and received accreditation from theCentral Electoral Board (JCE).

The threecongregations that will receive certifications are the Christian Church, theDominican Society of Jehovah’s Witnesses, Inc. and the Word of Life, Inc. ChristianChurch. The ministers and pastors who have been authorized include Raffy Paz fromthe Word of Life church, Juan Manuel Crispín of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, Rafael Montalvoof the Christian Incorporated, as well as Euclides Antonio Domínguez, JoséDavid Félix, Julián Rijo Reyes and Juan Antonio Guillén Liranzo.

Theaccreditation cards were handed over by JCE president Roberto Rosario, accompaniedby the president of the Higher Electoral Court and the Constitutional Court MarianoRodríguez and Milton Ray Guevara.

Theceremony took place at the JCE headquarters and was attended by a large numberof religious leaders as well as guests.

Theceremony included the celebration of the first non-Catholic wedding in thecountry, between 26-year old engineer Baldwin Rodríguez Ventura and 21-year oldLeidy Laura Cabreja Sánchez, officiated by Jehovah’s Witnesses ministerRafael Geovanny Ortiz Wessin.