Catholic Church slams Christmas handouts

Santiago delos Caballeros.- The Catholic Church says that the government should implementprograms aimed at strengthening Dominican families as a way of eradicating thehigh levels of violence that are currently affecting society.

Aneditorial with the title of “The Best Present” in the Camino newspaper, theCatholic Church mouthpiece, also comes out against handouts and paternalism,stating that this does not solve the serious problems that affect Dominicanfamilies or address their needs.

“The bestgift that the government can give the people this new year is to create theconditions for all families to open the way to prosperity, and to be in chargeof their own destiny and development,” declares the publication dated January 3rd2016.

It addsthat if one analyzes the individuals responsible for violent acts that havebrought insecurity to the population, the conclusion is that they come fromhouseholds “where there is overcrowding and bad behavior in every corner of thehome”.

It statesthat these are families deprived of all opportunities to achieve fulldevelopment, where the unemployment of their members creates a tenseenvironment that feeds idleness, a fertile breeding ground for the criminalitythat has filled society with panic.

Theeditorial concludes by saying that this is why it is essential, urgent and fundamentalthat the Dominican state must implement social policies that enable everyfamily to find a way to reach its own fulfillment, on the grounds that this isat the center of every society’s development.