Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Jun 12, 2009 / 11:12 am
A commission charged with revising the Dominican Republic’s constitution has rejected the legalization of same-sex “marriages” and affirmed that the family based on a union between one man and one woman is the foundation of society.
“The State will promote and protect the organization of the family founded upon the institution of marriage between one man and one woman,” the text of the reformed constitution reads. According to media reports, the text also affirms that the State “shall guarantee the protection of the family. The good of the family shall be declared inalienable and absolute in conformity with the law.”
The commission recognized the rights and duties of civil unions and added that they must be limited to heterosexual couples.
Likewise the commission ratified that only the Catholic Church could officiate marriages that have civil status, thus rejecting proposals by other religious denominations. It also “declared the eradication of child labor and every kind of abuse and violence against minors” to be a national priority.