The Spiritual Shock of Insecurity in Haiti:
By La Rédaction · Port-au-Prince
· 5 min read · Updated 24 April 2026
Translated from French — AI-assisted and reviewed by the editorial team. The French version is authoritative. Read the original · About our translation policy
Armed gangs have destroyed even the spiritual and religious values of Haiti.
An editorial by:
Ulysse Jean Chenet, General Coordinator of the Mouvement Point Final.
The insecurity crisis in Haiti, in less than 10 years, is destroying all elements of Haitian civilization to transform the country into a Republic of barbarism.
There is no need to review any sector to see the impact of insecurity on the social, economic, family, cultural, political, and diplomatic life of the country. It is, therefore, an irreparable catastrophe.
If, with the earthquake, we spoke of the Reconstruction of Haiti, after the end of the insecurity crisis, if the country still exists, we will speak of the Refoundation of a new Republic of Haiti.
Why?
Because insecurity destroys everything in its path in Haiti, neither the material nor the immaterial aspects of the country. Nothing exists in Haiti; even the Haitian elites are disappearing in all fields.
Now, today's topic concerns the impact of insecurity on spirituality and religion in Haiti.
Haitian civilization itself is based on spirituality and then on religion, because Haitians are believers above all.
To be Haitian means one is either Roman Catholic, or an evangelical Christian (Protestant), or at least a Vodou practitioner. Besides these, there are other religious sects in the country, such as Islam, Muslim, Buddhist, etc. … Recently, insecurity has directly attacked spirituality and religion in Haiti, which is fatal for the country. A fact that proves that insecurity is a Western project currently being executed in Haiti. Let's look at the 3 main religious groups in Haiti in relation to insecurity: 1) Catholicism: Since the signing of the 1860 Concordat between President Geffrard and the Holy See, the Vatican, the Catholic religion became the state religion of Haiti.
Despite everything, the Catholic religion is greatly affected by insecurity, like all other sectors in Haiti. Priests and nuns have been assassinated. Nuns from several congregations in Haiti have been raped and kidnapped, whether in Croix-des-Bouquets, Carrefour, in the Artibonite department, and the last known case was the fate of the nuns during the invasion by gangs of the Viv Ansanm terrorist Coalition in Mirebalais, Centre Department. These are attacks, so far, against physical persons of the Catholic religion.
Now, the most serious issue is the desecration of Catholic churches and patron saint festivals by armed gangs. It is terrible. In Port-au-Prince, the Cathedral is closed or abandoned due to the violence of armed gangs. There is almost no mention of patron saint festivals in Haiti.
Recently, the two largest patron saint festivals in the country were abandoned or celebrated only by armed gangs, namely the Saint Jean patron saint festival in Gressier, West department, on June 24, 2025, and the famous Mont-Carmel patron saint festival of Saut d'Eau, Centre department, on July 16, 2025. There, gang leaders from the Viv Ansanm Coalition were seen heavily armed inside these churches. Meanwhile, the faithful and pilgrims are driven elsewhere to take refuge in internal displacement camps in subhuman conditions.
The worst in all this is that national and international religious authorities do nothing to solve this problem. They only observe the damage; even Cardinal Chibly Langlois and the new Pope Nicolas V say nothing. This means that even God is not safe in Haiti. Because these people consider themselves representatives of God on earth, especially in Haiti, since the landing of the Spanish colonists on the island of Haiti in 1492. 2) Protestant religions in Haiti: Protestantism established itself in Haiti starting with the American occupation in 1915. Since then, it has gained ground to occupy a prominent place in Haitian society, in urban as well as rural areas, in the plains as well as in the mountains.
Today, there are many more Protestant churches under various names than schools, hospitals, and entertainment centers in the country.
Unfortunately, the Protestant religion is greatly victimized by insecurity. Pastors, faithful, and deacons have been kidnapped, raped, and killed, just like the majority of the population.
Several Protestant churches are closed, desecrated, and vandalized by armed gangs. 3) Vodou: In Haiti, Vodou is not considered a religion; it is the very essence of popular culture, traditions, customs, and mores of Haitians. Better yet, it is the center of Haitian civilization's spirituality.
Regarding insecurity in Haiti, it cannot be said that Vodou is a victim of insecurity in the same way as other religions. This is because armed gangs claim to be Vodou practitioners. In their mystical manifestations, this is openly visible. No problem. Due to the fact that Vodou is not a truly organized sector, and moreover, it is a popular and traditional culture. No one can be prevented from claiming to be a Vodou practitioner. Besides, all Haitians, first and foremost, are Vodou practitioners.
However, the behavior of armed gangs largely kills spirituality within the Vodou sector. Because Vodou is the culture of good, love, freedom, sharing, and living in community.
But, on an individual level, Vodou practitioners are greatly victimized by insecurity.
For example, the fate of the elderly in Wharf Jérémie. The gang leader, Micanor, massacred nearly 200 elderly people, under the pretext that they were 'Lougarou' (werewolves) and mystics who had cast a spell on a child of the gang leader in Wharf Jérémie. Several similar cases can be cited.
Vodou is not only a victim of armed gang violence but also of stigmatization from other religions imported into Haiti. Therefore, religion and spirituality in Haiti are largely affected by the problem of insecurity, just like all other sectors of the country. Ulysse Jean Chenet
General Coordinator of the Mouvement Point Final
(509) 4183 9811/ 4458 0309
To be Haitian means one is either Roman Catholic, or an evangelical Christian (Protestant), or at least a Vodou practitioner. Besides these, there are other religious sects in the country, such as Islam, Muslim, Buddhist, etc. … Recently, insecurity has directly attacked spirituality and religion in Haiti, which is fatal for the country. A fact that proves that insecurity is a Western project currently being executed in Haiti. Let's look at the 3 main religious groups in Haiti in relation to insecurity: 1) Catholicism: Since the signing of the 1860 Concordat between President Geffrard and the Holy See, the Vatican, the Catholic religion became the state religion of Haiti.
Despite everything, the Catholic religion is greatly affected by insecurity, like all other sectors in Haiti. Priests and nuns have been assassinated. Nuns from several congregations in Haiti have been raped and kidnapped, whether in Croix-des-Bouquets, Carrefour, in the Artibonite department, and the last known case was the fate of the nuns during the invasion by gangs of the Viv Ansanm terrorist Coalition in Mirebalais, Centre Department. These are attacks, so far, against physical persons of the Catholic religion.
Now, the most serious issue is the desecration of Catholic churches and patron saint festivals by armed gangs. It is terrible. In Port-au-Prince, the Cathedral is closed or abandoned due to the violence of armed gangs. There is almost no mention of patron saint festivals in Haiti.
Recently, the two largest patron saint festivals in the country were abandoned or celebrated only by armed gangs, namely the Saint Jean patron saint festival in Gressier, West department, on June 24, 2025, and the famous Mont-Carmel patron saint festival of Saut d'Eau, Centre department, on July 16, 2025. There, gang leaders from the Viv Ansanm Coalition were seen heavily armed inside these churches. Meanwhile, the faithful and pilgrims are driven elsewhere to take refuge in internal displacement camps in subhuman conditions.
The worst in all this is that national and international religious authorities do nothing to solve this problem. They only observe the damage; even Cardinal Chibly Langlois and the new Pope Nicolas V say nothing. This means that even God is not safe in Haiti. Because these people consider themselves representatives of God on earth, especially in Haiti, since the landing of the Spanish colonists on the island of Haiti in 1492. 2) Protestant religions in Haiti: Protestantism established itself in Haiti starting with the American occupation in 1915. Since then, it has gained ground to occupy a prominent place in Haitian society, in urban as well as rural areas, in the plains as well as in the mountains.
Today, there are many more Protestant churches under various names than schools, hospitals, and entertainment centers in the country.
Unfortunately, the Protestant religion is greatly victimized by insecurity. Pastors, faithful, and deacons have been kidnapped, raped, and killed, just like the majority of the population.
Several Protestant churches are closed, desecrated, and vandalized by armed gangs. 3) Vodou: In Haiti, Vodou is not considered a religion; it is the very essence of popular culture, traditions, customs, and mores of Haitians. Better yet, it is the center of Haitian civilization's spirituality.
Regarding insecurity in Haiti, it cannot be said that Vodou is a victim of insecurity in the same way as other religions. This is because armed gangs claim to be Vodou practitioners. In their mystical manifestations, this is openly visible. No problem. Due to the fact that Vodou is not a truly organized sector, and moreover, it is a popular and traditional culture. No one can be prevented from claiming to be a Vodou practitioner. Besides, all Haitians, first and foremost, are Vodou practitioners.
However, the behavior of armed gangs largely kills spirituality within the Vodou sector. Because Vodou is the culture of good, love, freedom, sharing, and living in community.
But, on an individual level, Vodou practitioners are greatly victimized by insecurity.
For example, the fate of the elderly in Wharf Jérémie. The gang leader, Micanor, massacred nearly 200 elderly people, under the pretext that they were 'Lougarou' (werewolves) and mystics who had cast a spell on a child of the gang leader in Wharf Jérémie. Several similar cases can be cited.
Vodou is not only a victim of armed gang violence but also of stigmatization from other religions imported into Haiti. Therefore, religion and spirituality in Haiti are largely affected by the problem of insecurity, just like all other sectors of the country. Ulysse Jean Chenet
General Coordinator of the Mouvement Point Final
(509) 4183 9811/ 4458 0309
