Archbishop Miot Killed in Massive Earthquake in Haiti; Thousands Feared Dead

by Deacon Keith Fournier

Aid worker: ‘Most horrific thing I’ve ever seen’ Catholics of Haiti now also grieve the loss of a beloved Archbishop. Pope calls for massive show of solidarity.

PORT-AU-PRINCE, HAITI (Catholic Online) - Pope Benedict XVI called for a show of massive solidarity around the world for the victims of what he referred to as the "devastating earthquake, which resulted in serious loss of human life, a great number of homeless and missing, and enormous material damage."

The Pope called all people to respond in an impassioned plea, "I appeal to the generosity of everyone, so that our brothers and sisters receive our concrete solidarity and the effective support of the international community in this moment of need and suffering."

He assured the faithful that the global network of the Catholic Church's charity organizations have already sprung into action. In fact, they have unleashed a massive display of Charity in action, providing a living witness of the love of Christ to those most in need.

The Pope also called for a massive outpouring of prayer, imploring the faithful: "I invite everyone to join in my prayer to the Lord for the victims of this catastrophe and for those who are mourning their loss. I assure my spiritual closeness to people who have lost their homes and to all those affected in various ways by this calamity, imploring from God consolation and relief of their suffering."

The Catholics in Haiti also grieve the loss of a Shepherd, another victim of the earthquake. Father Pierre Le Beller of the Saint Jacques Missionary Center in western France reports that the lifeless body of Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot, was found in the ruins of the offices of the archdiocese office... Read the whole article.