Vatican City, Jan 12, 2011 / 10:24 am
Exactly one year since a catastrophic earthquake took the life of the Archbishop Serge Miot of Port-au-Prince, Pope Benedict XVI has appointed a new leader to help guide the Haitian Church and nation out of the rubble.
The announcement of a new archbishop came as the Vatican remembered the solemn events of the earthquake last Jan. 12 that killed an estimated 250,000 people, creating a humanitarian nightmare and leaving the country’s fragile economy and political system in shambles.
Archbishop Miot was among those who died in the catastrophe. He perished after the earthquake sent him plummeting from the balcony of his home, as he waited for a ride to a ceremony. Besides the archbishop's home collapsing, the city's cathedral, seminary and nunciature were all razed. In the hours following the disaster, a humanitarian nightmare unfolded in the Caribbean nation.
The Pope announced Jan. 12 that Bishop Guire Poulard of Les Cayes, Haiti would replace Archbishop Miot. He also appointed Father Glandas Marie Erick Toussaint to serve as auxiliary bishop for the archdiocese came at the same time.