SÃO PAULO, Brazil – Church leaders in Haiti have condemned the inaction of authorities in the face of the growing violence in the Caribbean nation, which has now taken the lives of two nuns in the town of Mirebalais, on Mar. 31.

The killings of Sisters Jeanne Voltaire and Evanette Onezaire by armed men occurred when a coalition of criminal gangs took control of the town, about 30 miles northeast of the capital city Port-au-Prince.

The two nuns were members of the Congregation of the Little Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and were part of the administration of a school named Lucienne Estimé.

“Since Mar. 30, the whole region – which corresponds to the Diocese of Hinche – has been suffering lethal attacks from armed criminals. Many people had to flee the area and leave their homes behind,” Father Marc-Henry Siméon, the Bishops’ Conference’s spokesman, told Crux.

The armed bands have gotten into the region and indiscriminately attacked civilians, injuring and killing many of them. The school was invaded by the gangs, leading the sisters to look for shelter in nearby houses.

“They hid in a house along with two school employees. The criminals discovered they were there and just killed the four of them,” Siméon said.

Given that the school – and the whole town – remains under control of the gang coalition, the bodies of the sisters and of the employees still couldn’t be recovered.

The killings were received with sadness by Catholics all over the country.

“I am deeply shocked. How could I not be, after so many horrors? Port-au-Prince has been living under the grip of terror for months. But what happened in Mirebalais, with the despicable murder of our two nuns, marks a new threshold of barbarity,” Siméon added.

“Killing consecrated women, who gave their lives to serve, help, and educate their brothers and sisters by loving them unconditionally, is to desecrate what remains sacred in an already shattered society,” he continued.

“We still believed that certain places, certain lives would be spared. But now, even symbols of peace and total self-giving are no longer protected. This goes beyond simple violence: it is an act of hatred against light itself, against everything that elevates humanity,” the priest said.

Port-au-Prince and adjacent zones have been under control of gangs for several months, leading to the launching of a Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission, led by Kenya, last year. There are 1,000 security personnel in the country now, most of them Kenyans.

But the international force has not been able to prove its usefulness till now. Every week, more and more attacks waged against it by the gangs are being reported, and the atmosphere in the capital remains the same. Now, some gangs have been expanding their operations across other parts of the country, as was the case in Mirebalais.

The Bishops’ Conference issued a statement on Apr. 3 affirming that the killing of the nuns “was a hateful crime that reminds us of the extent of the evil that makes our society gangrenous.”

The episcopate expressed its solidarity with the families of the victims and “prophetically denounced the inaction of the authorities, who, despite the warnings, haven’t taken the necessary measures to prevent such a tragedy.”

“The absence of an efficacious reaction in the face of a persistent unsafety is a serious failure that endangers the nation, abandoned to the destructive forces,” the declaration read.

The bishops also condemned the gangs’ actions and called on them to immediately give up on their armed actions.

“Haiti is crossing the valley of the shadow, but the Christian hope assures us that the Resurrected One’s light will illuminate our way for better days.”

Father Gilbert Peltrop, secretary-general of the Conference of Religious of Haiti, told Crux he hasn’t been able to contact the killed nuns’ colleagues until now. He said a crime like that was unexpected.

“I never thought something like that would happen. However, we learn over the years that there are no limits,” he said.

The Conference of Religious of Haiti also released a public letter on Apr. 3 condemning the killings and demanding justice.

“We wish to express our deep gratitude for the presence of these nuns among the most vulnerable. They have been the manifestation of the signs of the Kingdom of God among those in need. They are living their Good Friday with Christ during this time of Lent,” the document read.

The letter then affirms that maybe that “tragedy could contribute to awakening the consciences of those responsible for justice and security in this country, so that impunity and blind violence may cease in our society.”

A statement released by the Diocese of Hinche, also on Apr. 3, added some information about the attacks in the region of Mirebalais. It said that many of the abandoned houses have been invaded, robbed and set on fire. A presbyterate was invaded after criminals killed a security guard in front of the priests.

“Such a barbaric act leaves a deep scar in our hearts and in our society. The loss of those precious lives are an abominable crime, not only against the victims, but against all humanity,” reads the letter, signed by Bishop Desinor Jean.

Siméon affirmed that “what is even more astonishing is the trivialization of these crimes.”

“We kill, we rape, we burn, and the country continues to sink into a form of collective resignation, while political leaders and international bodies content themselves with cold calculations,” the priest said.

He said that “we must not lose the ability to be shocked, hurt, and upset.”

“I think of these two sisters, their silent witness, their loyalty to the point of bloodshed. And I say to myself: if they loved to the end, then we have a duty to continue fighting for life. For justice. For peace,” Siméon added.