Joseph Serge Miot

Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Template other Template:Template other Template:Ordination Joseph Serge Miot (23 November 1946 – 12 January 2010) was a Haitian Catholic prelate who served as the ninth Archbishop of Port-au-Prince from 2008 until his death in the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Biography

Miot was born in Jérémie, Grand'Anse on 23 November 1946. He was ordained to the priesthood on 4 July 1975 in the Diocese of Jérémie.

On 29 July 1997, he was appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of Port-au-Prince by Pope John Paul II, because the people had been displeased with Archbishop François-Wolff Ligondé's supposed encouragement of the coup movement — the archdiocesan offices were burned in retribution. Archbishop Miot received his episcopal consecration on the following 12 October from Archbishop Christophe Pierre, with Archbishops François Gayot, SMM, and Ligondé serving as co-consecrators.

During his tenure, he denounced the incarceration of Fr. Gérard Jean-Juste by the government of Prime Minister Gérard Latortue; Miot later suspended Father Jean-Juste after the priest disobeyed orders to not present himself as a political candidate.

Miot succeeded Ligondé, becoming the ninth Archbishop of Port-au-Prince upon the latter's resignation on 1 March 2008.

The Port-au-Prince Cathedral, archdiocese offices, and many other churches were destroyed by the earthquake on 12 January 2010. Miot was killed instantly when the force of the quake threw him head-first off his balcony at the papal nunciature. Archbishop Bernardito Auza, Apostolic Nuncio to Haiti, the Apostolic Administrator of the Archdiocese, said that he originally sought an immediate burial for Miot, but that it would have conflicted with local tradition. Miot was buried at Lilavois Cemetery on 23 January 2010 immediately after his funeral Mass. Celebrants presiding at the funeral Mass included Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and chairman of the board of Catholic Relief Services; Thomas Wenski, Bishop of Orlando; and Archbishop Bernardito Auza.