Monsignor Jesús María de Jesús Moya and the debate on military ranks

My lovely people from our beloved Duarte province in the diaspora, today we remember a detail that closely touches the ecclesiastical history of our dear Monsignor Jesús María de Jesús Moya, bishop of San Francisco de Macorís. As explained in a recent analysis, back in 2001, the then-president Hipólito Mejía decided to grant the rank of general to Monsignor Moya. This decision was made to resolve a military protocol issue that arose when a police chaplain was promoted. To prevent the bishop from San Francisco de Macorís from having a higher rank than the then-archbishop Cardinal Nicolás de Jesús López Rodríguez, the Primate of America was also granted the rank of major general, even though international agreements establish that military bishops do not need to hold military ranks. Our people always remember with pride the career and pastoral service of Monsignor Moya in our area, leaving an indelible mark on the hearts of all the people from San Francisco de Macorís who follow our culture today from New York and all over the United States.