A group of criminals abducted Father Antoine Macaire Christian Noah, a priest from Cameroon, on February 7 in Haiti. He was held for nearly ten days in a deserted home outside of Port-au-Prince, the nation's capital.
The kidnappers left him isolated during this time, but they would go out at night, leaving him locked up in one of the houses that gangs usually take over in Haiti. On the tenth day of his captivity, the kidnappers left him unguarded, and he was able to escape.
Abducted Priest Escapes Kidnappers
Father Fausto Cruz Rosa, the major superior of the Antilles Delegation of the Claretian Missionaries, said Macaire had been taken to another country for his safety. According to Catholic News Agency, when he was abducted, Macaire was on his way to his missionary community in Kazal, which is about 20 miles north of Port-au-Prince. The Claretian Missionaries are a Catholic religious congregation that is dedicated to missionary work around the world.
Father Antoine Macaire Christian Noah has been safely relocated to Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, after escaping from a gang of kidnappers who held him captive for ten days in Haiti. Father Fausto Cruz Rosa, the major superior of the Antilles Delegation of the Claretian Missionaries, explained that Macaire managed to escape by making a hole in the ceiling of his confinement and running until he reached a nearby town.
He then sought refuge in a parish, where he stayed for a few days until his congregation managed to take him to the island of Gonave and later to Santo Domingo. Macaire was returning to Haiti after conducting spiritual exercises for his delegation in the Dominican Republic when a crime gang abducted him. Cruz explained that the gang only targeted him because he was a foreigner, a strategy they commonly use.
Father Antoine Macaire Christian Noah relied on his faith to remain calm during the crisis. According to National Catholic Register, Father Fausto Cruz Rosa said that Macaire prayed to his patron saint, St. Anthony of Padua, as well as to St. Anthony Mary Claret and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
Just receiving meals four times and a small amount of water over the course of ten days, the priest's kidnappers were surprised by his ability to survive. So far, Father Cruz is confident that God intervened to give Macaire the bravery and strength to leave unhurt because of the prayers of everyone in the world. Although his church has advised that Macaire stay away for the time being, Macaire is ready to return to Haiti as soon as possible.
Also Read: Pastor, Migrants Kidnapped By Mexican Drug Cartels Released In Less Than 48 Hours, Unharmed
Haiti is in Crisis Right Now
The recent event of the priest's kidnapping is just one of the current dangers in Haiti. Father Antonio Menegón, a Camiliian priest, has warned of an "unprecedented" level of violence in Haiti, where armed gangs run the country and attack Catholic schools and hospitals.
According to The Tablet, the gangs have become increasingly aggressive and are causing fear and violence said Father Menegón in an interview with the Vatican news agency Fides in December 2022. The prices of primary goods, such as food, fuel, and medicine, have more than tripled due to the gangs' rule.
Violent youths have also destroyed and looted fuel depots, supermarkets, churches, Caritas food banks, and international humanitarian organizations. Hospitals are closing due to insufficient fuel, electricity, food, and medicine. Father Menegón added that the cholera emergency has returned, especially killing children. The situation in Haiti has become critical, and urgent humanitarian intervention is needed to prevent further deterioration.
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