Following deadly protests against Haiti’s president and the drowning deaths of at least 28 people in an illegal crossing to the Bahamas, the country’s Catholic bishops have said all Haitians must come together for a wise solution to the country’s dangers.
“We must wake up to take together the full measure of the danger that threatens us all. This is the moment to join our forces and our intelligence to save our common boat, Haiti, which is our pride,” the Catholic Bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Haiti said last week.
They cited the Gospel of Matthew passage in which the seaborne disciples cry out to Christ as their boat starts to sink: “Lord, save us, we are perishing!”
Losses
“The hour is serious because there is violence against life. We deplore the losses in both human lives and property recorded recently in illegal travel and demonstrations,” they added. “We take this opportunity to present our sympathies to the victims and relatives of the victims.”
Four days of political demonstrations against President Jovenel Moise drew thousands of people, but also led to unrest that contributed to four deaths and dozens of injuries.