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A Pastoral Letter: concern for the people of haiti

Dear People of God:

Our hearts are filled with concern for the people of Haiti. The catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake that struck the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince, Haiti on the island of Hispaniola with indescribable devastation on Tuesday afternoon, January 12, 2010, has filled the eyes of the world with images of unspeakable suffering in one of the poorest countries on earth. The number of those who have died, who have been seriously injured, left homeless, or orphaned in this nightmare may never be accurately determined. I know that many of the parishes in our Diocese immediately began supporting the victims of this horrific event with their contributions and prayers, especially at Mass.

Haiti is 80 percent Catholic and there is a large Catholic presence in Port-Au-Prince. Priests, deacons, religious sisters and brothers, seminarians, lay workers, and families have all suffered from this calamitous disaster. The dedicated Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, the Most Rev. Joseph Serge Miot, 63, was one of the first to be identified among those who have perished. Catholic schools, hospitals, seminaries, social service centers and the historic landmark National Cathedral, Our Lady of the Assumption have all been destroyed. Bishop Guy Sansaricq, a Haitian native and an Auxiliary Bishop of Brooklyn, NY, who was ordained a priest in that Cathedral, has commented that the deep Catholic faith of the people and the support of neighbors in the United States and around the world will help his countrymen to endure this terrible ordeal.

I deeply appreciate the many individuals, groups, and parishes that have been making efforts to provide financial support to assist in providing immediate needs, including drinkable water, food, medical supplies, clothing, debris removal, and temporary shelter, and so much more. His Eminence, Francis Cardinal George, Archbishop of Chicago and President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops wrote to all of the American Bishops urging a special second collection the weekend of January 16-17 for the aid of our afflicted brothers and sisters in desperate need in Haiti. I urged every parish to do so. If, for some reason, it was not possible to have the collection that weekend, I hope you will arrange for the collection as soon as possible. Sadly, the urgent need will still be present weeks, months, even years from now.

Beware of seemingly reputable “religious” relief groups soliciting funds for Haiti, which are actually fraudulent. Please use Catholic Relief Services as the most trustworthy and efficient way of getting aid directly to Port-au- Prince. It has committed an initial $5,000,000 in emergency aid and it has sent personnel, food, water, and other aid to help desperate families in Haiti. They will continue to send aid not only for the short run, but also for the long run. Parishes, parish organizations, schools, and individuals can help immediately with relief efforts. They may donate by telephone at 1-877-HELP-CRS or text RELIEF to 30644, online at www.crs.org, or by check with the memo line “Haiti Earthquake” to Catholic Relief Services, P.O. Box 17090, Baltimore, MD 21203-7090. It is important for each of us to realize that no contribution to a world where many people “live” on less than $2.00 a day is too small. As Lent approaches on Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2010, perhaps some parish communities, schools, and individuals will choose to make assistance to Haiti a part of their ongoing Lenten-Easter spiritual renewal.

As you know, the United States has a long and complex relationship with the economic, political, and cultural realities that contribute to Haiti’s unique history and identity, which has been marked by exploitation and political instability. The Catholic Church also has a long, complex relationship to the country originating with the colonizing presence of France. (Tragically, the large African presence there takes its origins from the hundreds of thousands of human beings brought from West Africa and sold to land owners to work their coffee, sugar, indigo, and tobacco plantations. The scourge of human slavery, which was institutionalized in 1685 under the Code Noir of King Louis XIV, has remained a wound on the Haitian soul, even 206 years since the people threw off the chains of slavery and created their own republic in 1804.)

During these days of January, as we confront the sad anniversary of the January 22, 1973 decision of the Supreme Court to legalize the horror of abortion, we are all deeply conscious of the need to be concerned about the dignity of every human person from the moment of conception to the moment of natural death. As we renew our prayer and efforts for the end to abortion, we see the direct connection between our “pro-life” concern for defenseless, developing human life in the womb and our “pro-life” concern for our suffering sisters and brothers in Haiti. Please include petitions for the countless thousands of victims of the earthquake and the countless thousands of victims of abortion in the Prayers of the Faithful at your Masses in the weeks and months to come.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

The Most Rev. Edward K. Braxton
Bishop of Belleville

January 15, 2010
The 80th Birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.