Haiti
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(
Spanish
Santo Domingo, Hispaniola
.)
An island of the Greater Antilles.
Statistics
The area is 28,980 square miles; population about 1,900,000. The chief products are coffee, sugar, cotton and tobacco.
The island is divided into the Republic of
Santo Domingo
in the east, and the
negro
Republic of Haiti in the west. The latter covers 11,070 square miles with 1,579,630 inhabitants in 1909 (Church statistics). The language is a debased French (Creole); the religion,
Catholic
, although the natives are still widely affected with African fetichism (
Voodoo
or snake-worship). Education is deficient; it requires a yearly appropriation of 1,000,000 dollars. In addition to nearly 400 State free elementary
schools
, there are five public
lycées
.
The president is the head of the Republic (salary £4800). The Chamber of Deputies consists of ninety-five members. The senate numbers thirty-nine members. The revenue amounted for the financial year ending 30 Sept., 1907, to $2,547,664 (U. S. gold), and 6,885,660 paper
gourdes
. In 1907 the foreign
debt
was $11,801,861; the home
debt
, $13,085,362. The army consists of 6828 men; there is a special "guard of the government," numbering 650 men, commanded by 10 generals. The Republic possesses a fleet of six small vessels. The exports were valued in 1907 at $14,330,887, of which nearly $3,000,000 went to the
United States
— in 1906-07, $2,916,104, while the imports from the
United States
to Haiti for the same period were only $1,274,678. The capital is Port-au-Prince (population 75,000).
Political history
Haiti (i.e., the "hilly country") was discovered by
Columbus
, 6 December, 1492. In December, 1493,
Columbus
founded Port Isabella, which was soon re-named
Santo Domingo
.—As the aborigines soon became extinct the importation of
negroes
began about 1517. But the colony fell into decay, when, about 1638, the filibusters obtained a footing at
Santo Domingo
, and harassed commerce. After 1659 French settlements were established on the west side of the island with the help of the filibusters, which led to the definite occupation by the French at the Peace of Ryswijck (1697). While the parts left to the
Spaniards
became more and more impoverished and depopulated, the French colony flourished greatly until the
French Revolution
also affected Haiti, and there led to an insurrection of the blacks in which the
negro
Toussaint L'Ouverture finally in 1800 made himself dictator, declared Haiti's independence, and gave the country a constitution. He was soon overthrown by the French general Leclere and sent to
France
. The
negro
Dessalines, the author of a massacre of whites in 1804, was proclaimed James I, Emperor of Haiti, 8 Oct., 1804, but he was
murdered
two years later in a conspiracy under Christophe and Pétion.
Christophe thereupon established another
negro
state in the north which he ruled from 1811 to 1820 as King Henry I; while Pétion in the south founded a mulatto republic, and
Spain
re-conquered the eastern part which she had surrendered to
France
at the Peace of Basle (1795). Christophe's successor, Boyer, united all three parts of the island in 1822, but he was driven out in 1843, and the eastern part declared itself the independent
Dominican Republic
on 27 Feb., 1844. The western part became again an "empire" under Soulouque (Emperor Faustin I) in 1849, but a republic was again proclaimed by the mulatto Geffrard after the expulsion of Soulouque in 1859. Geffrard was replaced by the
negro
party under Salnave, 13 March, 1867. then followed a succession of presidents, who were nearly all disturbed by revolution, and under whom the republic was brought to the verge of ruin by civil
war
, financial maladministration, corruption, and thoughtlessly occasioned conflicts with
European
Powers. Even today (1909) the country has not yet settled down after the last revolution in the autumn of 1908.
Mission history
On the erection of the Dioceses of
Santo Domingo
and Concepción de la Vega, in 1511, the whole island was divided between these
bishoprics
. In 1527 Concepción was suppressed, and its territory united to
Santo Domingo
, which was the only diocese until 1862. Many
regular
clergy
came with the French into the French territory, especially the
Dominicans
and the
Capuchins
. The
Dominicans
devoted themselves especially to the mission in the western part of the colony, and were for a time supported therein by other orders and
secular priests
.
The
Dominicans
were also designated as missionaries to the southern part of the island. The
Capuchins
, who looked after the northern part of the island, and were likewise assisted by other orders and
secular priests
, soon were unable to supply enough missionaries. On that account they gave up this mission in 1704, and in their place came the
Jesuits
, who worked there until their expulsion at the end of 1763. Secular
priests
followed, but after five years they were superseded by
Capuchins
.
The
Revolution
brought confusion into the ranks of the
clergy
; several
priests
took the constitutional
oath
, and in the northern part of the country Divine worship ceased. while the mission in the west, uninterfered with under the British occupation (1794-8), was able to improve more and more. But in the south the
prefect Apostolic
, Père Viriot, was
murdered
. When Toussaint L'Ouverture came to power in 1800, he restored its
rights
to the
Catholic
religion. But meanwhile the council of Constitutional
bishops
at
Paris
had nominated a
bishop
of
Santo Domingo
, who, however, obtained no recognition either from Toussaint or the
Capuchins
. In 1802 General Leclere restored the former jurisdictions of Cap-Haïtien and Port-au-Prince, and named as prefects Apostolic Pères Corneille Brelle, O. Cap., and Lecun, O. P., these arrangements being confirmed at
Rome
. On account of the massacre of 1804 nearly all the
clergy
left the colony, so that for that two years the only religious services given at
Port-au-Prince
were held by a former
sacristan
. After the overthrow of James I (1806) some missionaries returned.
After many years of fruitless negotiations, a
concordat
was signed at
Rome
, 28 March, 1860. In Dec., 1860, Mgr. Monetti arrived as
Apostolic delegate
.
The Concordat provides that the
Catholic
religion shall enjoy the special protection of the Government. The president nominates the
archbishop
and the
bishops
, but the
pope
can refuse them
canonical institution
. The
clergy
receives an annual salary of 1200 francs from the State.
Five
bishoprics
were erected in 1861; the Archbishopric of
Port-au-Prince
, and the suffragan Sees of Cap-Haitien, Les Cayes, Gonaïves, and Port-de-Paix. The
Archbishop
of
Port-au-Prince
at first administered all the
dioceses
. A separate
bishop
was not appointed to Cap-haitien until 1873, and at the same time was entrusted with the administration of Port-au-Paix. In 1893 a separate
bishop
was appointed for Les Cayes; while Gonaïves is still administered by the
archbishop
. On the conclusion of the Concordat, three fathers of the
Congregation of the Holy Ghost
and of the Holy Heart of Mary were sent to Port-au-Prince. These restored the regular
parish
organization in the capital. The first
archbishop
, du Cosquer, and his successor, Quilloux, visited
France
to enlist new
priests
. Owing to the unhealthy tropical climate, death caused serious gaps in the ranks of the
clergy
; thus, at the beginning of 1906, out of 516
priests
who had come from
France
since 1864, 200 had died, 150 were still at their posts, and the rest were invalided to
Europe
. To ensure recruits, Mgr. du Cosquer established at
Paris
in 1864 the Saint-Martial Seminary, which was united with the Colonial Seminary conducted by the
Fathers of the Holy Ghost
; it received a State subvention of 20,000 francs per annum, the payment of which, however, was suspended owing to the political troubles of 1867, and in 1869 it was entirely abrogated. When in 1870 owing to the
war
, the
Fathers of the Holy Ghost
gave up direction of the
seminary
, Mgr. Quilloux founded a new
seminary
in Pontchâteau (
Loire inférieure
) in 1873 under the direction of the Fathers of the
Society of Mary
. Finally in 1893 the
seminary
was removed to St-Jacques (Finisterre) and its direction entrusted to the
secular priests
; Pontchâteau Seminary had sent 196
priests
to Haiti, and St. Jacques, in 15 years (down to 1909) 171. In 1864, in the whole of Haiti, there were only 34
priests
devoted to the care of
souls
in the 65
parishes
and 7 annexes. The progress which the
Church
has made in Haiti since then is shown by the fact that there are now (1909) 182
priests
and 92
parishes
.
Of
ecclesiastical seminaries
and
schools
, Haiti has: (1) at
Port-au-Prince
the "Petit Séminaire-Collège," under the
Fathers of the Holy Ghost
and of the Holy Heart of Mary. There is affiliated to it a children's
school
; also a meteorological observatory. A second observatory was founded by the
Christian Brothers
; (2) in Cap-Haitien, the College of Notre-Dame-du-Perpétuel-Secours, directed by four
secular priests
. The religious
societies
include: (1) the
Brothers of Christian Instruction
, who direct a secondary
school
at
Port-au-Prince
, besides nine primary
schools
elsewhere; (2) the
Sisters of St. Joseph
of Cluny direct a pensionnat at
Port-au-Prince
, and eighteen primary
schools
elsewhere (also 2
hospitals
); (3) the Sisters de la Sagesse, who direct a pensionnat in Port-au-Prince, 5 primary
schools
and 3 hospices. Of
ecclesiastical
benevolent institutions there are: an
orphan asylum
for girls and two
hospitals
, of which one is supported at the cost of the
clergy
, while the other is supported by the Dames Patronesses. The
Society of St. Vincent de Paul
also labours in Port-au-Prince. Among the religious associations mention may also be made of: the
Third Order
of St. Francis, and the Confraternities of the Sacred Heart, the
Holy Rosary
, the Children of Mary, the Christian Mothers, La Persévérence, etc.
Sources
Du Tertre, Histoire générale des Ant-Isles habitées par les Français (3 vols, Paris, 1671); Charlevoix, Histoire de l'Isle Espagnole ou de St-Dominique (Paris, 1730); Moreau de Saint-Mery, Lois de Constitutions des Colonies Françaises de l'Amérique sous le Vent de 1550-1785 (6 vols. Paris, 1784-5); Idem, Topographique, physique, civile, politique et historique de la partie française de St-Dominique (2 vols., Philadelphia, 1798); Jordan, Gesch. der Insel Hayti, I-II (Leipzig, 1846-9); Madiou, Histoire du Haïti (3 vols, Port-au-Prince, 1847-8); Arduin, Etudes sur l'histoire d'Haïti (11 vols., Paris, 1853-6); Handelman, Gesch. von Hayti (Kiel, 1856); Linstant-Pradine, Recueil général des lois et actes du Gouvernement d'Haïti (6 vols, Paris, 1866); Eduoard, Recueil général des lois et des actes du Gouvernement d'Haïti (2 vols., 1888), continuation of the preceding work to the year 1845; Le Selve, Histoire de la littérature haïtienne (Versailles, 1876); Idem, Le Pays de Nègres; Voyage à Haïti (Paris, 1881); Janvier, Le République d'Haïti, 1840-82 (Paris, 1883); St. John, Haiti, or the Black Republic (London 1884; 2nd ed., ibid, 1889); Mathon, Documents pour l'histoire l'Haïti (Paris, 1890, dealing with the revolution of 1888-9); Vibert, La République d'Haïti son présent, son avenir économique (Paris, 1895), a reckless diatribe against the clergy of Haiti, cfr. Anon, Simple réplique à M. Paul Vibert (Paris, 1897); Tippenhauer, Die Insel Haïti (Leipzig, 1893); Justin, Etudes sur les institutions haïtiennes, I-II (Paris, 1894-5); Sundstral, Aus der schwarzen Republik (Leipzig, 1903); Léger, Haïti, her History and Detractors (New York, 1907); de Vaissière, Saint-Dominique, le société et la vie créoles sous l'ancien régime, 1629-1789 (Paris, 1909). Concerning the Concordat, see; Dubois, Deux ans et demi de ministère (2nd ed., Paris, 1867); Guilloux, Le Concordat d'Haïti, ses resultats (Rennes, 1885). For mission-history, Piolet, La France au dehors: les missions catholiques françaises au XIXe siècle, VI (Paris, 1903), 302-30, where a bibliography is given; Caplan, La France en Haïti: Catholicisme, Vaudoux, Maçonnerie (Paris, s. d.); Pouplard, Notice sur l'hist. de l'Église de Port-au-Prince (Port-au-Prince, 1905). Periodicals: Bulletin Religieux (Port-au-Prince, 1872—); La Croix—Catholic Weekly (1895-8); Ordo divinii officii in usum prov. eccl. haitiané (Paris, issued annually with statistics).
About this page
APA citation.
Reinhold, G.
(1910).
Haiti.
In
The Catholic Encyclopedia.
New York: Robert Appleton Company.
http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07114a.htm
MLA citation.
Reinhold, Gregor.
"Haiti."
The Catholic Encyclopedia.
Vol. 7.
New York: Robert Appleton Company,
1910.
<http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07114a.htm>.
Ecclesiastical approbation.
Nihil Obstat.
June 1, 1910. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor.
Imprimatur.
+John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.
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