Haiti's Catholic Church begins speaking about crises
Haiti, one of the poorest countries in the Americas, is grappling with multiple crises, including out-of-control gang violence and months of political instability.
By openly criticizing governmental "inaction" and demonstrating last week its capacity for wide-scale mobilization, the church has made clear its plans to take a more direct role in addressing the daunting challenges facing this small Caribbean island.
In recent days, Haiti's Catholic Church has found itself thrust into the spotlight over the still-unresolved abduction of 10 people, including seven Catholic clergies.
The shocking kidnapping on April 11 sent shock waves across the island and beyond.
Catholicism is the dominant religion in Haiti.
In difficult moments, the cardinal said, people expect "a word from the Catholic Church," as it stands with them "in the most abandoned and remote parts of the country."
In 2014, the cardinal took part in talks between the executive branch and political parties at a time of high tension.
Andre Michel, a member of the opposition, said, "The Catholic Church can help bring about change. The country needs it”
“The church enjoys great confidence among the majority of the population," said Haitian Cardinal Chibly Langlois, in an exclusive interview with AFP a few days after Moise named Claude Joseph as the new prime minister.
Denouncing the "impotence" of the authorities in the face of a troubling spike in kidnappings, Langlois said an effective means had to be found to "stem this crisis."
On Thursday, the church, joined by many businesses and schools, observed a work stoppage to demand the liberation of the hostages -- among them five Haitian clergy members and a French priest and a nun -- bringing economic activity to a standstill.
Catholic masses have quickly been transformed into a protest movement against the authorities.
By launching this national movement, the Catholic Church has proved "its importance in a country with a strong religious tradition," said Reginald Boulos, a businessman and political figure who sees the church as "a moral force."
French priests have long dominated the church hierarchy in Haiti. In the 1950s, they engaged in a power struggle with Haiti's former "president for life," Francois Duvalier.
"Papa Doc" Duvalier had revived the island's voodoo traditions as part of a fierce assault on Haitian Catholicism, finally obtaining from the Vatican the power to name the Catholic hierarchy, helping to consolidate his authoritarian regime.
That opened an era of church subordination to the state, which continued during the reign of his son, Jean-Claude Duvalier, known as "Baby Doc."
So with its recent criticism, the church has returned to the more forthcoming attitude of the early 1980s, D'Meza said.
But under Pope John-Paul II, the Catholic Church sided with the forces of change that eventually led to the downfall of the Duvalier dynasty.
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