A Situation Of Terror Reigns Within Religious Communities

The Platform of Haitian human rights organizations (POHDH) is deeply concerned over the increase in acts of insecurity in the country, indicating that no individual or sector is spared, POHDH stressed that religious communities have become the target of armed bandits for some time (link) [an aggression on average every 4 days since November 16, 2014].

List of aggressions:

Montfort Institute for Deaf Children of the Daughters of Wisdom in Croix-des-Bouquets Montfort Institute for Deaf Children of the Daughters of Wisdom in Croix-des-Bouquets ;
The Little Sisters of St. Teresa in Boucan-Carré on November 16, 2014 – to Marfranc on December 18, 2014 – Vieux-Bourg d’Aquin on January 20, 2015 and February 4, 2015 in Mirebalais ;
The Daughters of Mary in Croix-des-Bouquets in the nights of 16 to 17 and from 21 to 22 January 2015 ;
The Sisters of St. Joseph of Saint-Vallier in Saint-Raphaël on 26 and 29 January 2015 ;
The Daughters of Mary Immaculate Queen in Saut-d’Eau, on December 3, 2014 ;
The Sisters of Charity of St. Louis in Petite Riviere de l’Artibonite, on December 8, 2014 ;
Missionary Sisters of Christ-Roi in L’Estère, on the night of 11 to 12 December 2014 ;
Missionaries of the Immaculate Conception in Dubuisson, on 27 December 2014 ;
Little Sisters of the Incarnation in Pandassiou in Hinche, on the night of 19 to 20 January 2015 ;
The Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi in Maniche, 30 on January 2015 ;
Franciscan auxiliary in Latremblay, Croix-des-Bouquets, on February 6, 2015 ;
The Sisters of Wisdom in Kenscoff, on February 9, 2015 ;
The servants of the Sick in Marin, on February 21, 2015 ;
Little Sisters of the Incarnation in Pandassiou, Hinche, on February 22, 2015 ;
The Sisters of the Holy Union in Saint Michel de l’Attalaye, on February 23, 2015 ;
The site of the Charismatic Renewal in Tabarre in the night of 27 to 28 February 2015 ;
The Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul in Sibert, on March 4, 2015 ;
The Daughters of Mary Verrettes, on March 5, 2015 ;
Benedictine Monks and Christian Brothers attacked in the street. And recently, on March 14, 2015, the rector of the University of Notre Dame d’Haiti, Mgr Pierre-André Pierre was attacked by gunmen in Delmas 33 ;
On March 15, the Boucan-Carré Sisters were attacked ;
On March 16, the Sisters of Thomazeau were violently attacked.

“The gravity of these acts experienced by religious and communities lies not only in their repetitive nature, but also the torture and humiliation inflicted to the victims,” said the Haitian Religious Conference (CHR), which describes a “situation of terror who reigns today within religious communities.” The victims are asking the justice to play its role in addressing this situation of growing violence (link).

Pastor Sylvain Exantus, President of the Protestant Federation of Haiti (FPH) “expresses its profound solidarity with the Catholic Church in general and victims of these odious acts in particular. He also took the opportunity to encourage the National Police to be more vigilant and seek the perpetrators and bring them to justice. Furthermore, the FPH urges all components of Haitian society, especially the Christian churches, schools, training center and directors of conscience to continue to teach the universal Christian values: the practice of justice, respect for life, respect for the human person, caring, active solidarity and respect for the property of others.”

For its part, the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince has assimilated to a plot to destroy the Catholic Church in Haiti, the multiple attacks against religious congregations in many parts of the country. Mgr. Guire Poulard, the Metropolitan Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, wondered on whether to close the congregations where the safety of men and women religious is not assured.

SL/ HaitiLibre

Haiti-security: A Situation Of Terror Reigns Within Religious Communities…

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