The Mass was led by bishops to draw attention to the surge in violence and kidnapping that have besieged the impoverished country.

According to a United Nations report, there have been 234 reported kidnappings in 2020, compared to 78 the year before. Homicides also increased by 20% in that time.

“For some time, we have seen Haitian society descend into hell,” the office of the archbishop in Port-au-Prince said in an April 12 statement. “The violence of armed gangs has taken on unprecedented proportions.”

The noon “Mass for the freedom of Haiti” was led by 11 bishops, who processed into the church to the sound of church bells ringing across the capital, reported the Miami Herald.

At the end of the Mass, as the bishops were exiting the church, police fired tear gas missiles into the crowd. 

Source: Aleteia.org