Haiti Priest Who Condones Violence Goes Into Hiding
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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti — A Roman Catholic priest who has condoned violence to oust the military-led Haitian government went into hiding Sunday after calling Information Minister Gerard Noel a liar, religious sources reported.
They said that Father Jean-Bertrand Aristide decided to spend a week alone to avoid publicity after saying Saturday that Noel was lying in a statement accusing Aristide of preaching hatred, violence and revolution.
Meanwhile, about 100 of Aristide’s supporters continued a sit-in in Port-au-Prince’s ornate cathedral, with seven of them on hunger strike since Friday, to protest moves by the church to reduce Aristide’s influence. All Masses have been canceled.
Aristide has been ordered transferred to a parish on the outskirts of Port-au-Prince from a downtown slum where hundreds flocked each Sunday to cheer his anti-government sermons.
In recent weeks of unrest in Haiti during which troops have killed nearly 40 people, Aristide has several times condoned violence to overthrow the government for violating the constitution.
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