While recovering from colon surgery in the hospital, Pope Francis is reacting to the assassination of Haitian president, Jovenel Moïse.
A telegram signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin states:
“The Holy Father expresses his sadness and condemns all forms of violence as a means of resolving crisis and conflicts. He wishes for the beloved Haitian people a future of fraternal harmony, solidarity, and prosperity.”
President Moïse was killed by gunmen in his home outside Port-au-Prince. He was 53 years old.
Throughout his pontificate, Pope Francis has repeatedly expressed his closeness with the people of Haiti. In 2018, he met with President Moïse at the Vatican, and gave him a medal engraved with a message of hope, which reads: “The desert will become a garden.”
POPE FRANCIS
“This is my wish for your country.”
Four suspected assailants were killed in a shootout with security forces, while two others were taken into custody. The UN is calling for them to be tried under the law.
STÉPHANE DUJARRIC
Spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General
“The perpetrators of this crime must be brought to justice. The Secretary-General calls on all Haitians to preserve the constitutional order, remain united in the face of this abhorrent act and reject all violence.”
Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Now it is bracing itself for political turmoil after the assassination of its president.
JM
