“It is still time to avoid the irreparable”: Catholic bishops alarmed by the Haitian crisis and question the 2025 Draft Constitution

In a statement released on July 23, the Episcopal Conference of Haiti (CEH) firmly addresses the country's security situation and the Draft Constitution. While acknowledging some progress, the bishops denounce the nation's moral and institutional decline and call for a collective awakening of conscience. “As our country sinks deeper into generalized chaos every day,” Haiti’s Catholic bishops believe it has become urgent to raise a prophetic voice. In a statement dated July 23, 2025, and signed by all members of the Episcopal Conference of Haiti (CEH), they present an alarming assessment of the state's collapse and call for a spiritual, social, and political awakening. Under the title “CEH Position on the Country's Security Crisis and the 2025 Draft Constitution,” the text blends gravity and hope. The bishops immediately denounce the collapse of institutions, the flight of the population, the trivialization of human life, the terror imposed by armed gangs, and the desecration of sacred places. “These aggressions do not only destroy stones or objects; they strike the living heart of our people, their moral conscience, their capacity to hope,” they write, condemning the violence as a sign of a people “who lose the sense of God and, with it, the sense of man.” A nuanced critique of the Draft Constitution The CEH also examines the ongoing constitutional process. The bishops recognize several advances in the 2025 Draft Constitution: A clear will to modernize the State and rationalize governance; An openness towards recognizing the rights of the diaspora, women, and youth; Better recognition of fundamental social rights (education, health, housing, security); Mechanisms favoring transparency and the fight against corruption. But beyond these contributions, the CEH denounces “serious limitations that should not be ignored”: A non-inclusive process, without genuine citizen debate or an elected Constituent Assembly; An excessive concentration of powers in the hands of the president; A risk of national fragmentation through the introduction of a federal model; Social rights without effective recourse mechanisms; A governance model too complex for a country with limited resources. *A Constitution, yes… but not without the people* The bishops strongly reiterate that “a country’s Constitution is more than a legal text: it is a social pact.” They reject any unilateral initiative without consensus and insist on the need for genuine national dialogue rooted in historical memory, social realities, and the culture of the Haitian people. “The renewal of the Nation will not come from a text, however well-written, if it is not carried by an awakened and renewed collective consciousness,” the statement reads. They call for resistance “to resignation, vengeance, and anarchy,” and urge all Haitians of good will to work for the moral and institutional reconstruction of the country. A call for peace, justice, and truth In the final paragraphs, the tone becomes more pastoral and fraternal: “To all of you, Haitian Sisters and Brothers, we say that it is still time to avoid the irreparable. But every day of silence, hesitation, or duplicity is one day too many. Too much blood has flowed. Too many families are destroyed. Too many young people have lost hope.” The CEH concludes by entrusting the nation to God through the intercession of Our Lady of Perpetual Help:
“May He touch hardened hearts, uplift the humbled, bless the peacemakers, and grant our people the graces of conversion, peace, and recovery.” In a country at its wit's end, where violence challenges humanity a little more each day, the Episcopal Conference of Haiti raises a singular voice, both firm and fraternal. Far from partisan speeches, it calls for lucidity, collective responsibility, and a genuine refoundation, rooted in dignity, truth, and peace. It remains to be seen whether this call, made with faith and compassion, will find an echo within a society deeply wounded, but not yet resigned. The editorial team