Quake Takes Its Toll On Haiti's Burial Rites

The number of dead from Haiti’s earthquake has been estimated as high as 200,000. That’s nearly 7 percent of the population of Port-au-Prince. Imagine the entire population of Des Moines, Iowa, vaporized.

This is a country that observes death with elaborate ceremony. But with most of the bodies hauled to mass graves or still entombed in fallen buildings, normal funeral rituals are impossible.

All over Port-au-Prince, the places that usually play an integral role in burial customs are eerily empty.

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Posted in * Christian Life / Church Life, * Culture-Watch, * International News & Commentary, Caribbean, Death / Burial / Funerals, Haiti, Parish Ministry, Religion & Culture