Catholic leaders in Haiti are raising the alarm as escalating gang violence increasingly targets religious institutions, forcing the closure of dozens of parishes and schools. Monsignor Joseph Gontrand Décoste, Bishop of Jérémie, warned that armed groups—who now control between 70% and 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince—are singling out the Catholic Church because it remains “the last moral, ethical, spiritual, and prophetic bastion” in the country. Speaking to the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Bishop Décoste noted that while at least 40 parishes in Port-au-Prince have been forced to shut down due to attacks, burning, and occupation, the Church continues its mission and relies heavily on international prayers and aid.
The human toll on local communities continues to worsen as gangs expand their territory. Sister Paesie, founder of the Kizito Family organization in Cité Soleil, reported a recent surge in displacement after armed groups attacked a neighborhood housing one of her schools, killing residents who could not flee. Dozens of vulnerable children have been brought to religious communities for shelter, including siblings whose parents were killed in the assault. Sister Paesie emphasized that the widespread destruction has crippled charitable infrastructure, pointing to a Missionaries of Charity clinic that once treated over 2,000 patients annually but now lies ruined and abandoned following a past attack.
In response to the deteriorating humanitarian crisis, Catholic bishops in the United States are urging lawmakers to maintain support for Haitian refugees. Leaders like Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami have advocated for extending Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians, cautioning that revoking protections amidst unchecked gang violence, food insecurity, and cholera outbreaks would be equivalent to “sending people back into a burning building.” U.S. prelates continue to call for a permanent, compassionate solution to protect those fleeing Haiti’s general breakdown in security.