Follow Church Teachings, Pope Tells Dominicans

Pope John Paul II celebrated Mass in the oldest cathedral in the Americas on Saturday, and told members of the Catholic clergy that decrying social ills would not necessarily solve them.

Earlier in the day, he paid a ceremonial call on President Joaquin Balaguer.

The pope, seeking to steer clear of official celebrations marking Christopher Columbus’ landing 500 years ago, looked fit as he strode down a 30-yard red carpet before the meeting with Balaguer. It is his first overseas trip since he underwent surgery in July to remove a benign colon tumor.

At the Mass, John Paul cautioned against straying from church teachings, urging Dominican priests and nuns to preach Roman Catholicism with courage.

His remarks, on the second day of a six-day visit to this Caribbean nation, may set the tone for a Latin American bishops conference that opens Monday to chart church policy in the region for the next decade.

During his papacy, John Paul has tried to put the brakes on some social activism by clergy in the region, home to 40% of the world’s 928 million Catholics.

“In your apostolic action, don’t let yourself be blinded by the idea that everything can by resolved by denouncing the ills that block or impede social development,” John Paul said.

Many of the 1,200 people in the packed cathedral fanned themselves with programs as John Paul arrived to lead the first Mass of his trip. A children’s choir sang Spanish hymns.