Joseph Serge Miot Explained

Honorific-Prefix:The Most Reverend
Joseph Serge Miot
Bishop Of:Archbishop of Port-au-Prince
Province:Port-au-Prince
Diocese:Port-au-Prince
Enthroned:1 March 2008
Ended:12 January 2010
Predecessor:François-Wolff Ligondé
Successor:Guire Poulard
Ordination:4 July 1975
Consecration:October 12, 1997
Consecrated By:Christophe Pierre, François Gayot, and François-Wolff Ligondé
Birth Date:23 November 1946
Birth Place:Jérémie, Haiti
Death Place:Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Buried:Lilavois Cemetery
Nationality:Haitian
Religion:Roman Catholic Church
Joseph Miot
Dipstyle:The Most Reverend
Offstyle:Your Excellency
Relstyle:Monsignor

Joseph Serge Miot (23 November 1946  - 12 January 2010[1]) was a Haitian archbishop of the Roman Catholic Church. He was the ninth Archbishop of Port-au-Prince, serving from 2008 until 2010. He was killed in the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Biography

Miot was born in Jérémie, Grand'Anse on 23 November 1946. He was ordained to the priesthood on 4 July 1975 in the Diocese of Jérémie.

On 29 July 1997, he was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Port-au-Prince by Pope John Paul II, because the people had been displeased with Archbishop François-Wolff Ligondé's supposed encouragement of the coup movement - the archdiocesan offices were burned in retribution. Archbishop Miot received his episcopal consecration on the following 12 October from Archbishop Christophe Pierre, with Archbishops François Gayot, SMM, and Ligondé serving as co-consecrators.

During his tenure, he denounced the incarceration of Fr. Gérard Jean-Juste by the government of Prime Minister Gérard Latortue;[2] Miot later suspended Father Jean-Juste after the priest disobeyed orders to not present himself as a political candidate.

Miot succeeded Ligondé, becoming the ninth Archbishop of Port-au-Prince upon the latter's resignation on 1 March 2008.

The Port-au-Prince Cathedral, archdiocese offices, and many other churches were destroyed by the earthquake on 12 January 2010. Miot was killed instantly when the force of the quake threw him head-first off his balcony at the papal nunciature.[3] Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti, the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese, said that he originally sought an immediate burial for Miot, but that it would have conflicted with local tradition.[4] Miot was buried at Lilavois Cemetery on 23 January 2010 immediately after his funeral Mass.[5] Celebrants presiding at the funeral Mass included Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and chairman of the board of Catholic Relief Services; Thomas Wenski, Bishop of Orlando; and Archbishop Bernardito Auza.[6]

Notes and References

  1. News: Haiti earthquake: devastation emerges . 13 January 2010. BBC News. 13 January 2010.
  2. Web site: One Down, 700 To Go . Brian . Concannon Jr. . December 2004 . Institute For Justice & Democracy in Haiti . 16 January 2010 . 17 April 2008 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080417060147/http://www.ijdh.org/articles/article_onedown.htm . dead .
  3. https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/18273/exclusive-papal-nuncio-gives-dramatic-report-on-church-in-haiti
  4. News: Exclusive: Papal nuncio gives dramatic report on Church in Haiti . . Denver, Colorado . 14 January 2010 . 16 January 2010 .
  5. News: Funeral held for Haitian archbishop . CNN . 23 January 2010 . 24 January 2010.
  6. Web site: Haitian Clergy Mourned at Funeral Mass . Catholic Relief Services . 23 January 2010.