The constitution provides for the free exercise of all religions. The law establishes the conditions for recognition and practice of religious groups. Vodou has been a registered religious group since 2003 but has not been able to perform civilly recognized marriages or baptisms. By law, the government provided funds and services to the Catholic Church but not to other religious groups. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Religious Denominations (MFA) did not act on a pending request to register the Muslim community. Many nondenominational Christian and Muslim groups said they operated without registering with the MFA.
A mob decapitated a Vodou priest following reports the priest had used his spiritual powers to kill a local woman and a church director. Vodou community leaders stated Vodou practitioners continued to experience some social stigmatization for their beliefs and practices. According to the leadership of the National Confederation of Haitian Vaudouisants (KNVA), teachers and administrators in Catholic and Protestant schools at times openly rejected and condemned Vodou culture and customs as contrary to the teachings of the Bible.
U.S. embassy officials met with the MFA to reinforce the importance of religious freedom, as well as equal protections and equal legal rights for minority religious groups. Embassy representatives also met with faith-based nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and religious leaders to seek their views on religious freedom.