The Metropolitan Archbishop of Port-au-Prince and president of the Haitian Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Max Leroy Mésidor, has expressed the gratitude of Haiti’s bishops to Pope Leo XIV for his recent appeal for peace in Haiti. He also lamented the escalating violence in the country, describing criminality as a phenomenon that “knows no limits.”
During the Sunday Angelus on August 10, 2025, Pope Leo XIV spoke with emotion about the Haitian crisis, deploring the suffering of a population “increasingly weighed down by despair.” He strongly condemned “violence in all its forms, human trafficking, forced displacement, and kidnappings,” calling for the immediate release of hostages and for concrete engagement from the international community.
“We hope the Pope’s cry will be heard by both the Haitian authorities and the international community,” Archbishop Mésidor told Vatican News, while noting that the many international meetings on Haiti have so far yielded disappointing results.
“The multinational security support force has had very limited impact, and there is a serious lack of personnel and logistical resources,” he lamented.
The archbishop denounced what he called a catastrophic security situation, pointing to the recent abduction of eight people from the Sainte Hélène orphanage in Kenscoff, including Irish missionary Gena Heraty, who runs the institution, and a young child. “This act of barbarism is one of many signs of the collapse of a state and a society that have lost the sense of life and human dignity,” he said.
The Church leader stressed the need for a national mobilization: “For dialogue to happen, for a national conference to take place, the guns must go silent. Violence must be renounced.” According to him, Haitians must unite around a common project rooted in justice and nonviolence.
A Call to Hope
In his conclusion, Archbishop Mésidor joined his prayer to that of the Pope, asking God to help Haiti “free itself from all the chains that hinder its development,” particularly armed group violence, the lack of patriotic consciousness, and the struggles for power.
“May this Jubilee of Hope strengthen the faith of God’s people in Haiti. May it bring a time of grace and blessings for us Haitians. For hope in God never disappoints,” he concluded, urging the public not to lose faith in a better future.
As the country faces one of the worst crises in its history, the voice of the Haitian Church joins that of the Vatican in calling for peace and international solidarity.
Archbishop Mésidor Welcomes Pope Leo XIV’s Appeal for Haiti, Condemns “Boundless” Criminality
Archbishop Mésidor Welcomes Pope Leo XIV’s Appeal for Haiti, Condemns “Boundless” Criminality
Archbishop Mésidor Welcomes Pope Leo XIV’s Appeal for Haiti, Condemns “Boundless” Criminality
Archbishop Mésidor Welcomes Pope Leo XIV’s Appeal for Haiti, Condemns “Boundless” Criminality
