PORT AU PRINCE, Haiti, CMC – The Catholic Bishops of Haiti says 40 years after Pope John Paul 11 visited Haiti in solidarity with “a people standing against the yoke of the dictatorship,” the change of political regime, which occurred shortly afterward, “did not fulfill the hopes of the people whose expectations were disappointed.”
In a message to mark the 40th anniversary of the visit, the Bishops noted that they had adopted the theme “Something has to change here” for the Eucharistic Congress held in the French-speaking Caribbean Community (CARICOM) country to mark the occasion of the Pope’s visit.
The Catholic Bishops of Haiti said facing the harsh realities of the time, characterized by an autocratic power that oppressed the citizens. The Church sought to assist Haitians “who aspired to a free and democratic society.
“But the change of political regime, which occurred shortly after the visit of the Holy Father, did not fulfill the hopes of the people whose expectations were disappointed,” the Bishops said, adding that “in recent years, we have witnessed cleverly orchestrated evil engineering to break all the springs that still supported the sections of our society.
“The systematized and planned violence challenges the authorities and the public forces. Without the slightest risk of being worried, the armed gangs claim responsibility for their heinous crimes: theft, rape, looting, arson, kidnapping, and murder.
“Throughout the country, they are multiplying demonstrations of force, occupying new spaces every day under the impassive gaze of the authorities, whose indifference and inaction are more than disconcerting,” the Bishops said.
They said that faced with the “total indifference and inaction” of the state, “going so far as contempt for the suffering people…some wonder if the country is not the object of a vast conspiracy with hidden objectives.
“It is clear that we cannot fight this evil which has taken so many roots in our country. In the name of international solidarity and universal fraternity, the League of Nations must manifest itself at a time when an entire people is exposed to the terror of gangs that spare neither women nor children nor the sick.
“The time is for concrete action. The help our people need today must be defined according to what they are truly experiencing and their aspirations for well-being and justice. The path to Haiti’s recovery is that of sincere brotherhood and friendship,” the Catholic Bishops of Haiti said, adding, “we urge them to act quickly before it is too late.”
They said they earnestly appealed to the “conscience of all those who cynically finance and maintain this violence.
“Your lives and those of your loved ones are sacred but know that every life is equally precious. Each of our lives is of inestimable value. Listen to the groan of the countless innocent people asking you to stop the terror. We implore you to renounce this violence that asphyxiates our children and destroys our Haitian sisters and brothers.”
The religious body said that the victims, for their part, must obtain justice and redress.
“The people have had enough! He can’t take it anymore! It is time for something to change for real on this earth in favor of these people who are shunned, humiliated, abused,” they added.
On Sunday, CARICOM governments reiterated their resolve to continue efforts to encourage dialogue among Haitian stakeholders and to support efforts at finding solutions to the multi-dimensional crisis facing the country.
A statement issued by the Guyana-based CARICOM Secretariat noted that regional leaders with responsibility for Haiti met under the chairmanship of Bahamas Prime Minister Philip Davis, who is also the CARICOM chairman, to receive the report from Jamaica’s Prime Minister Andrew Holness, who led a CARICOM Special Mission to Haiti on February 27.
In December last year, Prime Minister Dr. Ariel Henry signed the political agreement with representatives of political parties, civil society organizations, and members of the private sector, agreeing to a 14-month transition period that would include the holding of new general elections in 2023, the entry into office of a newly elected government on February 7, 2024.
In addition, the agreement provides, among other things, for establishing the HCT and a body for the Control of Government Action (OCAG), proving a “political balance” in the country.
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