The bishops of Ohio are addressing concerns over the prevalence of rumors of Haitian immigrants eating their neighbors' pets in the town of Springfield. Their letter comes as World Day of Migrants and Refugees fast approaches (September 29), and seeks to remind of the importance of caring for one’s neighbor.
The unsubstantiated claims began in viral posts on social media, but the topic was thrust into the center of conversation after former President Donald Trump brought it up at the September presidential debate:
"In Springfield, they are eating the dogs.” Trump said from the podium at the ABC debate, “The people that came in, they are eating the cats. They’re eating – they are eating the pets of the people that live there."
In the weeks since the debate, the people of Springfield have had to deal with a flurry of rumors circulating the internet and causing trouble in the real world. According to Crux, the local schools have received more than 30 bomb threats, which have disrupted students on a near daily basis. Furthermore, the town has canceled its annual “CultureFest” celebration, which comes at the end of September.
Responding in an open letter, the 10 bishops of Ohio began by reiterating that when Jesus was asked by a scholar “And who is my neighbor?” Jesus responded with the parable of the Good Samaritan.
“Today, our nation is divided by partisanship and ideology, which blind us to the image of God in our neighbor, especially the unborn, the poor, and the stranger. These negative sentiments are only exacerbated by gossip, which can spread quickly across social media with no concern for the truth or those involved.”
They decried the human tendency to gossip and reminded that the Catholic Church teaches that all human beings are endowed with inherent dignity granted to us by God and confirmed to us by Jesus Christ. They noted that the care of immigrants has long been a great concern of the Church, pointing to the words of Pope Pius XII:
“Over 70 years ago, Pope Pius XII urged the Body of Christ to understand the Christian responsibility to care for migrants and refugees, writing, 'Indeed, there never has been a period during which the Church has not been active on behalf of migrants, exiles and refugees.'”
The letter continued to touch upon the harsh conditions from which the Haitian immigrants fled in what the bishops described as “extreme violence and poverty,” with some escaping “inhumane conditions.” They reminded the faithful that while not all of the Haitian immigrants are Catholic, all of them are welcome in the diocese’s parishes, and all of them are loved by God.
“As the residents of Springfield, Ohio, struggle with violent threats and life disruptions fueled by unfettered social media posts, we exhort the Catholic faithful and all people of goodwill not to perpetuate ill will toward anyone involved based on unfounded gossip. Instead, we ask for prayers and support for all the people of Springfield as they integrate their new Haitian neighbors and build a better future together.”
The US bishops' conference joined with the message of the Ohio bishops, reposting the letter on their social media page:
