Death in the risen Christ is not the end of life. It is a passage, a necessary one from earth to heaven. I am looking forward to discover, thanks to Jesus, the glorious heavenly life. So many ancestors, friends, relatives, parents, martyrs, militants, justice and freedom lovers to greet. – Father Gérard Jean-Juste

In an excerpt from a letter smuggled out of the Haitian National Penitentiary in 2005, Father Gérard Jean-Juste shared these moving words about life and death and encouraged others to let love triumph and recognize the work we all have to do to build a better world.

On May 27th, Father Gérard Jean-Juste died in Miami after suffering a stroke. He was 62 years old. As a Roman Catholic priest and rector of Saint Claire's church for the poor in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Father Jean-Juste advocated liberation theology and supported the Fanmi Lavalas political party. In 1978, Father Gérard Jean-Juste founded the Haitian Refugee Center in Miami, Florida and remained a beloved figure in South Florida's Haitian community and beyond.

Jean-Juste was unlawfully detained in 2005, while attending the funeral of journalist Jacques Roche, and placed in prison in solitary confinement based on government accusations he was somehow involved in Roche’s death. There was, however, no evidence and Amnesty International designated him a “prisoner of conscience,” noting that the real basis for his incarceration was that he was critical of the Haitian government (the interim government of Prime Minister Gérard Latortue) and expressed his political beliefs freely and openly. TransAfrica Forum joined the voices of many calling for his release, alongside the unlawful detention of thousands of political prisoners in Haiti at the time. All charges against Jean-Juste were later dropped.

In an interview with Miami Herald in 1980, Jean-Juste declared, ''Haitian people had no rights in Haiti and they have no rights here. They are starving, they are being separated from their families, they cannot work.'' Today, these words still ring true and the battle to address the unequal treatment of Haitians in the U.S. and in immigration policy continues.

“Father Gérard Jean-Juste was a selfless, spiritual and political visionary. His tireless work as a passionate human rights crusader on behalf of Haitians throughout the Diaspora will never be forgotten.” – Nicole Lee, Executive Director, TransAfrica Forum

TransAfrica Forum is deeply saddened by the passing of Father Gérard Jean-Juste and offers condolences to his family. He leaves behind an enduring legacy committed to our common humanity and justice for all. In a world where injustice, poverty and violence are rampant, Father Gérard Jean-Juste reminds us that the best antidote is a fierce determination to honor justice, but with love and empathy. As he once said, “My rosary is my only weapon.”

For more information about Jean-Juste, see: http://www.democracynow.org/2005/7/28/amnesty_international_declares_father_jean_juste

2007 interview with Jean-Juste: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pn4Mx6k0dNI