It has been confirmed that six religious Sisters were kidnapped by armed assailants in Haiti on 19 January.
The abduction took place in Port-au-Prince, Haiti’s capital, when six Sisters of Saint Anne – who have not been named – were travelling to a university, the Haitian Conference of Religious has confirmed.
The gunmen stopped the bus and took the driver, the Sisters and a seventh traveller, to an undisclosed location, reports Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
The area where the kidnapping occurred is territory fought over by two rival gangs – the Grande Ravine and Village de Dieu gangs – but so far no one has admitted seizing the Sisters.
Bishop Pierre-André Dumas of Anse-à-Veau and Miragoâne condemned the kidnapping, describing it as “an odious and barbaric act that shows no respect for the dignity of these consecrated women who give themselves wholeheartedly and completely to God to educate and form the young, the poorest and the most vulnerable of our society”.
Bishop Dumas called on “all of Haitian society to join hands to form a true circle of solidarity around all the country’s hostages, in order to obtain their release and grant them a swift, safe return to their families and communities”.
He also expressed his willingness to take the Sisters’ place as a hostage. The immediate release of the eight captives has been called for by ACN and various international voices, including the Pope’s.
“I have learned with sorrow of the kidnapping, in Haiti, of a group of people, including six religious Sisters,” Pope Francis said during the 21 January Angelus address. “In my heartfelt plea for their release, I pray for social concord in the country, and I invite everyone to bring an end to the violence, which is causing a great deal of suffering to that dear population.”
In December 2023, Archbishop Max Leroys Mesidor of Port-au-Prince spoke to ACN about the situation in Haiti, describing it as an “infernal domination of armed groups and the indifference of political actors”.
Various Church members in Haiti have found themselves caught up in the country’s troubles, sometimes with tragic consequences. In June 2022, Sister Luísa Del’Orto, an Italian missionary, was shot dead in Haiti.
Five priests were also kidnapped in the country in 2022 and two in 2023, but they have all since been released.
“We hope to see the support of the international community for disarmament and the recovery of our country,” the archbishop said.
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