Voodoo an undeniable part of the culture of the Haitian people, Cardinal Chibly Langlois

Voodoo is a religious cult practiced combining the elements of Roman Catholic rituals with traditional African magical and religious rites, characterized by sorcery and spirit possession. It is heavily practiced in the Caribbean and the southern U.S.

ADVERTISEMENT


Recently, the Haitian Cardinal, Mgr Chibly Langlois, said in a statement that voodoo was a major social problem for Haiti because the practice presents the element of magic and not genuine solutions to the people of Haiti who he termed as "a population deprived of justice and political voice."

His statement has caused such a stir among the inter-religious scope. In a press note, they said that they were extremely saddened and disappointment by the statement from the Cardinal. They argued that it would most likely intensify the confusion in peoples' minds and worsen the current anxiety and tension. They argue that the mission of the inter-religious platform is to advocate for tolerance among people, prevent conflicts and promote togetherness. They further went on to say that God does not empower any religion to judge another.

According to Mgr Langlois Chibly, someone cannot be a voodooist and be a Catholic at the same time. He also cited the fact that 80% of Haitians are Catholic and they practice voodoo at night because they are ashamed. He argues that a Catholic is a pure Catholic, and a voodooist is a pure voodooist, and that the cultural elements of voodoo and its use of the drum and the method of singing do not conform to the church.

He blames this practice on the political problems which compel the poor to turn to supernatural help. An educated person that has financial capability would not go to a voodoo priest but instead would go to the hospital when sick. Just as an educated person would not go to the voodoo priest to seek revenge but would rather go to court to get justice.

Reply to this article

Read more: Voodoo, Cardinal, Haitian Cardinal, Cardinal Langlois Chibly, Cardinal Chibly Langlois, Religion

« Doing Business 2015, Haiti inproved by one Percent in Business Environment | Main | Eight death, Over 1200 homes flooded in Cap-Haitien as a result of Heavy rain »

Return to Articles List

Leave a Reply

Name (required)

E-mail (required, will not be published)

Subject: Voodoo an undeniable part of the culture of the Haitian people, Cardinal Chibly Langlois edit

» »

Our objective is to share with you news and information about Haiti and the people of Haiti. Traditions, habits and the way we were  or  grew are alive in this site. We highly recommend that you Subscribe to our Newsletter and also share with us some of the things that are memorable and made us unique people.