A powerful message of collective responsibility was delivered by Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Okolo, the Holy See’s new Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti, following the official presentation of his credentials to Prime Minister Alix Didier Fils-Aimé on Wednesday, May 27, 2026, at the Villa d’Accueil in Port-au-Prince.
Speaking formally for the first time as the Vatican’s official representative, the prelate did not mince his words regarding foreign dependency. “Do not wait for foreigners to come from abroad to change and build your country. That is not going to work,” he stated with disarming frankness, drawing on insights gathered from his previous diplomatic postings worldwide. The Archbishop emphasized that international partners can only serve a supportive role in national recovery. “Others are here to lend a hand. We will lend a hand. But you must be in the front row, and we will follow and accompany you. The Holy Father invites you to stand up and take your destiny into your own hands,” he declared.
The new Nuncio also expressed deep concern over the lingering internal divisions paralyzing collective progress, explicitly reminding journalists and political actors of the country’s national motto: “Unity makes strength. You often forget it, and I do not know why.” This return holds significant personal meaning for Archbishop Okolo, who previously served in Port-au-Prince as secretary of the Apostolic Nunciature between 1992 and 1996 during a period of intense socio-political upheaval. The official ceremony was attended by Foreign Minister Raina Forbin and the General Secretary of the Presidency, Marie Élisabeth Régine Joseph Haddad, paving the way for immediate bilateral talks focused on structural cooperation in education, peacebuilding, interfaith dialogue, and human solidarity.
