As part of the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy, proclaimed by Pope Francis which began December 8, 2015, (Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary) and will conclude November 20, 2016 (Solemnity of Christ, King of the Universe) the Bishops of the Episcopal Conference of Haiti (CEH), in a pastoral letter, give some spiritual and pastoral guidelines to help you live this Jubilee.

Excerpts from the Pastoral letter of the CEH :

"[...] Us, the Catholic Bishops of the Church of Haiti, Pastors of a people faced with so much suffering and misery material, psychological, moral and spiritual, we want everything to be done to allow the celebration of the Holy Year of Mercy in Haiti is for everyone, believers or not, a real moment of personal encounter with God's mercy. We desire that the extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy is a living experience for all the closeness of God who is a Father "Merciful." It allows us to finger her tenderness, to restore hope and courage to all those tempted by despair and discouragement, especially the poorest, 'life's wounded', the excluded of our society . [...]

[...] Aware of the responsibility that is ours as Bishops of the Catholic Church of Haiti, the Pastors of this people so proven but so brave and combative, we can not hide our profound concern at the constant moral degradation, social, economic, political, environmental and ecological of our country, because of the erosion of our values, because of our divisions, our fratricidal struggles, our loss of the sense of the common good of our carelessness, our lack or absence of sense of responsibility.

In this Christmas season and this Holy Year of Mercy, we urge all Haitians to definitively abandon the path of hatred, division, discord, selfishness, individualism, fatalism, of resignation, recklessness, irresponsibility, destruction, and to engage resolutely in the path of Mercy, forgiveness which is a force that resurrects new life and gives the courage to look to the future with hope: 'Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy' (Matthew 5: 7).

Finally, we urge every Haitian, every faithful, every diocese, every parish, every family, every community, every association or movement in the Church and in civil society, to make concrete gestures of mercy that will contribute significantly to the recovery of our dear country. Let us wake up and live, now, time of Mercy, the time for change ! 'Behold, now is the time of favor; behold, now is the day of salvation...' (2 Corinthians 6: 2).

[...] To you all, we make a vow to live with joy this Christmas season, and to welcome in peace, serenity and trust, the Mercy of God throughout the Year 2016 !"

Learn more about the Jubilee :

In the Catholic tradition, the Jubilee is a great religious event. This is the year of remission of sins and punishments for sins, it is the year of reconciliation between adversaries, conversion and sacramental penance, and, consequently, of solidarity, hope, justice, commitment to serve God in joy and in peace with his brothers. The Jubilee year is above all the year of Christ, bearer of life and grace to humanity.

HL/ HaitiLibre