ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 12, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
The Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince denounced the “collapse of humanity” in Haitian society, “where the unthinkable has become commonplace,” in response to the kidnapping of nine people from an orphanage on the outskirts of the capital on Aug. 3.
In a statement, the archdiocese said it received the news of the kidnappings, which included an Irish lay missionary and a disabled 3-year-old boy, with “deep sadness and profound indignation” and expressed “its fraternal solidarity and spiritual closeness” with the orphanage, a “tireless sower of hope for the most vulnerable.”
The archdiocese also expressed its solidarity with the residents of Kenscoff, who have been affected “by the brutal violence that has taken hold in this town over the past few months.”
“Once again, crimes committed with chilling cynicism bear witness to the collapse of humanity in our society, where the unthinkable has become a daily occurrence. Crime knows no bounds. And places of care, education, refuge, and hope are now being targeted,” the Aug. 6 statement lamented.
“This kidnapping constitutes an attack on what is most noble in a society: service free of charge to others, the innocence of the defenseless child, the faith embodied in works of mercy,” the archdiocese stated, condemning this new act of barbarism, calling it “a sign, among many others, of moral collapse, state failure, and a society that is losing its sense of life and human dignity.”
If competing interests are allowed, the archdiocese noted, to make society insensitive to the suffering of the victims of the violence prevailing in Haiti, “we will become accomplices in the slow but sure destruction of this country.”
“Because silence in the face of the unacceptable is a form of renunciation of our human and Christian vocation,” the statement emphasized.
“The Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince urges all the faithful, all men and women of goodwill, to raise their voices, unite in prayer, and take concrete measures to reject this climate of dehumanization,” the statement added.
Furthermore, the archdiocese urged the civil, military, and police authorities “to assume their responsibilities to guarantee the safety of all and obtain the immediate release of the kidnapped persons,” emphasizing that “Haiti’s future cannot be built on blood, impunity, and fear.”
“The time has come together to say enough. And to act. In these dark days, may the light of the risen Christ illuminate our decisions, our words, and our actions. May Our Lady of Perpetual Help intercede for our beloved Haiti and especially for all those who are suffering,” the statement concluded.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
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Haiti is such a sad nation! It looks, for all the world, like it were cursed, and to be sure, there is at least an Internet story that it is, which is essentially that, at the start of the Haitian Revolution, a pact was made with Voodoo gods. But BEFORE the Haitian Revolution, Haiti was regarded with dread as the place where African slaves were worst abused, and before that, there were legends (at least) of cannibals. Haiti was a sad place as far back as records go. More recently, I remember when being Haitian was a risk factor for AIDS.
I have to believe, though, that it is in just such a place that mighty Saints may also be found. I do not know their names, nor do I suspect the Vatican knows their names — as is the case with most Saints. That’s why we have a special Feast Day on November 1.
There are saintly Haitian people here in the States, too. I run into them from time to time.
🙂
I’ve been to Haiti – right after the earthquake devastated the capital city. It is the forgotten country. If the USA bishops who are so prone to politcal posturing and virtue signaling want to do something creditable, let them organize massive assistance to Haiti to help build up their economy. Let the bishops put their charitable efforts where their mouths are.
Haiti, as a founding member of the UN, should demand help from that organization.
The last time the UN helped out in Haiti they brought cholera & trafficking/exploitation with them.
These kidnappings happened not in Port-au-Prince but in Kenscoff which is one of the most beautiful places in Haiti, way up in the mountains above the capital. It used to also be one of the most peaceful communities in Haiti. If this can happen in Kenscoff, no place in Haiti is safe.
Br. Jaques (?) above – It’s been a long while since I’ve had any faith in the UN.
For 25 years, my parish has twinned with a parish in Haiti far from the capital. Providing educational and heal to provide educational, food, and health services. that have noticeably improved the people’s lives. But I dread the day when a gang discovers this peaceful place and devastates it. How is it that the impoverished Dominican republic, the other half of Santo Domingo, escapes the horrors that ravage Haiti?