Overview:
Bishop Emeritus Joseph Willy Romélus, former leader of the Diocese of Jérémie—Grand’Anse Department— and champion of Haiti’s poor, died Aug. 11 at age 94 in his native Arniquet, a commune of the South Department. Ordained in 1958 and named bishop in 1977, he advanced education, healthcare and human rights, earning the 1994 European Human Rights Prize. Retired in 2009, he remained a moral voice for unity and justice until his death. Haiti now mourns a prophetic and courageous leader.
PORT-AU-PRINCE — The Catholic Church in Haiti will bid farewell to Bishop Emeritus Joseph Willy Romélus, former leader of the Diocese of Jérémie, Grand’Anse, during funeral services on Aug. 21. The revered bishop died peacefully Aug. 11 at his home in Château, Arniquet commune, in the South Department. He was 94.
The announcement from the diocesan chancery has drawn an outpouring of condolences from clergy, parishioners and community leaders.
“It is a great loss for the Church; a prophet has left us, a light has gone out,” Rev. Father Adonaï Jean Juste said of the beloved bishop in an interview with The Haitian Times. “For the poor, they lose their father, their defender, a sincere Haitian without hypocrisy.”
A vigil will be held Aug. 20 at Saint Louis Cathedral in Jérémie. The funeral mass will take place the following day at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal.
A fearless advocate for justice with decades of service
Born Jan. 17, 1931, in Arniquet, Romélus entered the priesthood in 1958 after seminary formation for the Diocese of Les Cayes. He served rural communities for nearly two decades before being appointed bishop of Jérémie by Pope John Paul II in 1977.
As bishop, he focused on education, healthcare and pastoral work in remote areas. He launched literacy programs, built parish schools, strengthened health services and oversaw the construction of Our Lady of Miraculous Medal Cathedral, begun in 1996 despite financial challenges.
Romélus was known for his outspoken defense of human rights, particularly during political upheaval. He supported the 1987 Constitution, denounced military abuses after the Duvalier regime and encouraged peaceful resistance following the 1991 bloody coup until constitutional order was restored in 1994.
“It is a great loss for the Church; a prophet has left us, a light has gone out. For the poor, they lose their father, their defender, a sincere Haitian without hypocrisy.”
Rev. Father AdonaÏ Jean Juste
That year, he received the European Human Rights Prize in Strasbourg. And then, he was nominated for the 1995 Nobel Peace Prize.
Since retirement in 2009, Romélus stayed active — conducting masses, mentoring priests and speaking out against foreign interference in Haiti. During a 2012 trip to Europe, where he presented his book “Hope Against All Hope,” he criticized the United States’ policies, which he claimed deepened internal divisions and hampered national progress.
“His life teaches us that only true unity, without hypocrisy, where everyone can live with dignity, can save the country,” Jean Juste said. “He was imprisoned and beaten for his beliefs, yet never stopped loving the people through God.”
Romélus leaves behind a legacy of pastoral care, moral courage and unyielding commitment to Haiti’s most vulnerable.