Kirchenakte Documented events from judgments, reports and church documents
since 6 Aug 1954 · 72 years, ongoing · show in timeline

Dominican Republic 1954: Pius XII concludes a concordat negotiated by Generalissimo Trujillo himself; church buildings and dioceses are state-funded, and those married in church renounce divorce

In the 1954 concordat Generalissimo Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina represented the Dominican Republic and Domenico Tardini the Holy See under Pius XII. The state undertakes to build cathedrals and bishops'' houses and to pay the dioceses monthly subsidies. Those who marry in the Catholic Church renounce the civil right to seek divorce. After the liturgy, prayers are said for the Republic and its President. US records from 1960 report continuing arbitrary arrests and torture under Trujillo''s rule; in August 1960 the American foreign ministers condemned the country.

Period
since 6 Aug 1954 (72 years, ongoing)
Report published
6 August 1954
Country
Dominican Republic
Institutions
Holy See
Secretariat of State
Category
Agreements with dictatorships
Level of evidence
A Primary source · what does this mean?
Persons
Pius XII (Pope, contracting party)
Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina (Generalissimo, plenipotentiary of the Dominican Republic)

What happened to the people

Who was affected? Victims and numbers

  1. The US chargé reported in August 1960 that Rafael Trujillo still dominated the country and that there was no indication the government planned to abolish arbitrary arrests, prison tortures or reprisals against its political opposition. On 20 August 1960 the foreign ministers of the American republics condemned the Dominican Republic.
    Evidence: US Department of State, Office of the Historian, Editorial Note, Telegramm 140
    „there has been no change of government and Rafael Trujillo still dominates“
    Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958-1960, Vol. V, Microfiche Supplement, Dominican Republic, Dokument 26 (Editorial Note), Editorial Note, Telegramm 140. Original
    Evidence: US Department of State, Office of the Historian, Editorial Note, Telegramm 140
    „No indication anywhere that GODR plans to abolish arbitrary arrests, prison tortures, or reprisals against its political opposition.“
    Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958-1960, Vol. V, Microfiche Supplement, Dominican Republic, Dokument 26 (Editorial Note), Editorial Note, Telegramm 140. Original
    Evidence: US Department of State, Office of the Historian, Editorial Note
    „the foreign ministers approved a resolution condemning the Dominican Republic“
    Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958-1960, Vol. V, Microfiche Supplement, Dominican Republic, Dokument 26 (Editorial Note), Editorial Note. Original

Background

Course of events

  1. Generalissimo Dr Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina negotiated the concordat as plenipotentiary of the President of the Republic. Domenico Tardini acted for Pope Pius XII. The instruments of ratification were exchanged on 6 August 1954 in Ciudad Trujillo.
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Staatssekretariat (vatican.va), Präambel
    „Su Excelencia el Generalísimo Dr. Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina“
    Concordato entre la Santa Sede y la República Dominicana (AAS 46, 1954, S. 433-457), Präambel. Original
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Staatssekretariat (vatican.va), Ratifikationsvermerk
    „die sexta Augusti anno MDCCCCLIIII in urbe « Ciudad Trujillo »“
    Concordato entre la Santa Sede y la República Dominicana (AAS 46, 1954, S. 433-457), Ratifikationsvermerk. Original
  2. Under Article XV spouses, by marrying in the Catholic Church, renounce the civil right to seek divorce; state courts may not apply it to such marriages.
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Staatssekretariat (vatican.va), Art. XV Abs. 2
    „los cónyuges renuncian a la facultad civil de pedir el divorcio, que por esto mismo no podrá ser aplicado por los tribunales civiles a los matrimonios canónicos“
    Concordato entre la Santa Sede y la República Dominicana (AAS 46, 1954, S. 433-457), Art. XV Abs. 2. Original
  3. According to the concordat, on Sundays, holy days of obligation and national holidays prayers are said in the country's churches at the end of the principal service for the Republic and its President.
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Staatssekretariat (vatican.va), Art. XXVI
    „una oración por la prosperidad de la República y de su Presidente“
    Concordato entre la Santa Sede y la República Dominicana (AAS 46, 1954, S. 433-457), Art. XXVI. Original

Who received the assets, who profited?

  1. In Article VII the state undertakes to build cathedrals and bishops' residences and offices, and guarantees the archdiocese and each diocese a monthly subsidy.
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Staatssekretariat (vatican.va), Art. VII Abs. 1
    „El Gobierno Dominicano se compromete a construir la Iglesia Catedral o Prelaticia“
    Concordato entre la Santa Sede y la República Dominicana (AAS 46, 1954, S. 433-457), Art. VII Abs. 1. Original
    Evidence: Heiliger Stuhl, Staatssekretariat (vatican.va), Art. VII Abs. 2
    „una subvención mensual para los gastos de administración y para las iglesias pobres“
    Concordato entre la Santa Sede y la República Dominicana (AAS 46, 1954, S. 433-457), Art. VII Abs. 2. Original

See also

Original documents to read

  1. Church document
    Heiliger Stuhl, Staatssekretariat (vatican.va): Concordato entre la Santa Sede y la República Dominicana (AAS 46, 1954, S. 433-457), 16 June 1954. Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
  2. Government report
    US Department of State, Office of the Historian: Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958-1960, Vol. V, Microfiche Supplement, Dominican Republic, Dokument 26 (Editorial Note). Original (retrieved 31 Oct 2026)
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Last changed on 31 October 2026. Is something missing or wrong? Suggest an addition or correction.