Haitian Bishop Pierre-André Dumas, who suffered burns in a recent explosion, is currently being treated at Miami’s Jackson Memorial Hospital after being flown into Miami International Airport, detailed a report from Local 10 News. Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami has been closely monitoring the situation of Bishop Dumas, the presiding bishop of Anse-à-Veau and Miragoâne who was injured during the mysterious blast on February 18.
The incident adds to a growing list of turmoil for church officials in Haiti, on Friday in Port-au-Prince, it was reported that seven people, including six members of the Congregation of the Brothers of the Sacred Heart and a priest, were kidnapped at École Jean XXIII and the Chapel of Our Lady of Fatima respectively, as per Vatican News, as mentioned by Local 10 News.
More details about Bishop Dumas's condition were brought to light by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), confirming that the bishop remains in stable condition after undergoing surgery for burns sustained to his face, arms, and legs. Archbishop Max Leroys Mesidor of the Haitian Bishops’ Conference disclosed that the origins of the explosion have yet to be confirmed, stating, "It is still uncertain whether the explosion was caused by a gas leak or a criminal act."
Church personnel in Haiti find themselves increasingly in the crosshairs, an unnerving pattern underscored by this latest incident, which follows the kidnapping and subsequent release of six Sisters of Saint Anne in January, and last year's abductions of five priests and two more in 2023, Archbishop Mesidor called for prayers for Bishop Dumas's recovery, amidst a backdrop where violence towards spiritual leaders has become distressingly common according to Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
