The kidnapping of nine individuals, including an Irish missionary and a child with disabilities, is being described as “a new act of barbarity,” a “shameful act,” and an expression of a “moral collapse” engulfing all of Haitian society. This is the denunciation issued by the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince in a statement condemning what took place on Sunday, August 3rd, at the Sainte-Hélène Orphanage in Kenscoff, southeast of the capital. The Church is therefore appealing both to the faithful, called to respond with prayer and concrete humanitarian help, and to the institutions to ensure order, security, and justice.
The Archdiocese describes the kidnapping as “an attack on the noblest aspects of society”: selfless care for others, protection of childhood innocence, and faith embodied in works of mercy. For the Church in the capital, this violence affects not only the victims directly involved, but also undermines the very foundations of civil coexistence and human dignity.
The statement expresses “deep sadness” and “great indignation,” emphasizing how such crimes reveal “the failure of the State and of a society that is losing its sensitivity to life.” It is a cry of alarm at the worsening climate of impunity, where “the unimaginable becomes routine,” and “places dedicated to care, education, refuge, and hope are becoming targets.”
