Following the controversy sparked by his remarks against voodoo https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11594-haiti-religion-you-can-t-be-voodooist-and-catholic-dixit-mgr-langlois.html , Haitian Cardinal Chibly Langlois specifies in a note, that the fragments of his interview published in The Guardian newspaper, does not accurately reflect his vision of voodoo.

Without however put these "fragments" in the context of this interview, Cardinal Langlois today recognizes that voodoo is "an undeniable part of the culture of the Haitian people."

Explanations of Cardinal Chibly Langlois :

"1 - In an article in the British newspaper The Guardian Sunday, July 13, 2014 titled - Vodoo won’t save Haïti, says Cardinal - it was reported fragments of an interview I granted to the journalist Rashmee Roshan Lall. These fragments as mentioned in our community have raised comments that reflect some concern;

2 - What has been published does not accurately reflect my vision of voodoo as undeniable part of the culture of the Haitian people. I can not consider and even less publicly state that: voodoo is a social evil. Such remarks contrast dramatically with my way of propose to all the Gospel, which seeks neither judge nor condemn.

3 - With the Second Vatican Council whose we celebrate the 52nd anniversary of the inauguration this year, the Church, under the action of the Spirit, using new methods and better suited for an evangelization more prone to dialogue with other religions. Nostra Aetate document meant it bluntly :

4 - In our time when the human race becomes daily more closely together, and the relations between different peoples are increasing, the Church examines more closely what are its relations with non-Christian religions. In her task of promoting unity and love among men, and between peoples, she looks here first what men have in common and what draws them to live together their destiny. (Nostra Aetate No. 1.)

5 - With this magisterial exhortation, the church from where she works today has the duty to proclaim the Gospel to all without any triumphalistic spirit and by respecting the values ​​that characterize all religions. Our vision of God differentiates us from each other, but we are brothers because we all have the same Father, God (Malachi 2:10; Ephesians 4, 6). This design enables us to live our faith in different ways and gives us an identity that we all share. In my capacity as pastor, it is my responsibility to urge our people to remain attached to the Catholic faith and to live unequivocal avoiding any confusion;

6 - The evangelizing mission of the Church requires it to work for peace and unity among men. We can not build on our divisions of any king they are, we need to build mainly on what unites us. Proselytism can only stir differences and weaken the ties that we must attach to each other. The dialogue process initiated by the Episcopal Conference of Haiti, far from being confined within the perimeter of the sociopolitical, also indicates the disposition of the local Church to all forms of dialogues whose the interreligious for peaceful coexistence and respectful of our land of Haiti;

7 - My prayer accompanies all the Haitian people in their pursuit of intimacy with God and union between us Haitians."

See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11594-haiti-religion-you-can-t-be-voodooist-and-catholic-dixit-mgr-langlois.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-11616-haiti-religion-religion-for-peace-saddened-by-the-statements-of-cardinal-langlois-on-voodoo.html

HL/ HaitiLibre