AMERICA/HAITI - In the face of kidnappings, common prayer and "national strike" of Catholic activities

Wednesday, 14 April 2021 religious community   violence   poverty   hunger   bishops  

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Port au Prince (Agenzia Fides) - "We ask Catholic schools, religious schools, universities and all other Catholic institutions to observe the interruption of activities on April 15. We ask priests, religious, pastoral workers to accompany and keep the people of God in hope as Pope Francis wants. We ask that all church bells ring on Thursday, April 15 at noon. We ask that in the Masses celebrated in all the churches they pray to ask God for a change for Haiti. In the metropolitan region of Port-au-Prince we will celebrate Mass in Saint-Pierre Church in Pétion-Ville, with all the Bishops of Haiti on the same day at noon": this is what the Bishops of the Haiti Episcopal Conference (CEH) say , speaking, in a note sent to Agenzia Fides, on the dramatic situation of the kidnapping of 5 priests, 2 nuns and 3 lay people in Haiti (See Fides, 12/4/2021).
The CEH denounced what it calls the "kidnapping dictatorship" in Haiti and states: "We must not leave the power to kill, rape and kidnap to bandits. We must unite in prayer to obtain a better country". To give a resounding sign of dissent, with the aim of stopping the kidnappings and restoring legality and peace, the Conference of Bishops and the Conference of Haitian religious have recommended the interruption of activities to Catholic institutions in the country inviting the population to a common prayer, in all the churches, tomorrow April 15.
The silence, the prayer, the interruption of activities intend to shake up the national conscience and urge the authorities to consider and address urgently the issue of kidnappings. (CE) (Agenzia Fides, 14/4/2021)


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