Religion and politics in Haiti

I am not for a minute condoning the Evangelical, Catholic, and Voodoo interfaith services, nor am I agreeing that Haiti’s earthquake was divine punishment against its government. But in the aftermath of the earthquake, it appears that Haitians are in a mood to cast off their notoriously corrupt government leaders:

Reeling from the earthquake that devastated their country one month ago, Haitians have turned to their vivid and sometimes quirky spiritual life in a search not only for consolation but also for an explanation of why such a catastrophe was visited upon them.

The depth and breadth of Haiti’s spirituality was put on display Friday, the first of three days of mourning decreed by the government of President René Préval. In the largest of many such gatherings, thousands of people gathered on the Champ de Mars, a broad esplanade in front of the collapsed National Palace, to pray, sing religious songs and listen to Roman Catholic, Protestant and voodoo preachers in a government-organized memorial service for the more than 200,000 killed.

“Everybody is praying together — Catholics, Protestants and voodoo believers,” said Joseph Ardouin Dubois, an evangelical Protestant who attended the service with his New Testament in hand. “There is only one God.”

But in the crowd pressing toward the stage, and among the nearby tents and plastic shelters where homeless families by the thousands have taken refuge, many blamed the Jan. 12 quake on the government, saying Haiti’s leadership was evil because it ignored spirituality and refused to grant a higher minimum wage to the poor.

The sentiments, freely expressed, suggested that political repercussions from the earthquake could extend beyond the immediate question of whether Préval and his government are effectively presiding over relief efforts.

“If this tragedy has befallen Haiti, it is because our leaders, our politicians, are not spiritual people,” said Pastor Vladimir Justal, 34, an evangelical minister who walked among the tents in a white linen suit. “They have no religion.”

“They are pagans, that’s what they are,” said a teenager standing nearby.

“Yes, that’s it,” Justal agreed. “We are going to ask God to give us spiritual men to lead us. Otherwise, we are heading for another catastrophe.”