# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1916_S21
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1916. 21

bring his government measures into full harmony with those of the Church," that is of course, with those of the Roman Church. (Encyclical "Praeclara gratulationis.") "But if the state is ordered in such a manner, it is plain that it must fulfil its so many and important duties toward God through public religious observance." (Encyclical "Immortale Dei.") "Since therefore the state necessarily demands unity of religious confession, it must profess itself to the one true religion, namely the Catholic." (Encyclical "Libertas.") Compare here especially the excellent little work: "Protestantischer Nachruf zum Gedächtnis Papst Leos XIII." [Protestant Obituary in Memory of Pope Leo XIII] by A. L. Gräbner. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo., 1903. — Let us take one more look at the most recently deceased Pope, Pius X; we see that the same doctrine is found in him again regarding Church and state. He says, for example, in his circular letter of 11 February 1906, addressed to the archbishops, bishops, the whole clergy and the people of France, on the separation of state and Church introduced by the government in that country, among much else this: "The principle that state and Church must be separated is truly a quite false principle and one in the highest degree pernicious. Whoever can speak in favor of it, with him a denial of the supernatural lies at the bottom." (*Lehre und Wehre*, Vol. 61, 1915, p. 19.) That is, according to the pronouncements of its teachers and leaders, whom it regards as infallible, to whose utterances one must, according to its doctrine, unconditionally submit for conscience' sake, from whose decisions there is no appeal, the doctrine of the Roman Church on the separation of state and Church, on freedom of conscience and religion, on freedom of speech and the press. All this are to them pernicious principles which only a godless man can hold, indeed madness. Permit me to cite one more testimony: "Under the title 'Handbook of Christian Doctrine' (Manual of Christian Doctrine), prepared by a seminary professor and published with ecclesiastical sanction by J. Jos. McVey in Philadelphia, a Roman Catholic textbook was issued which, according to the preface, is to serve as a handbook for religious instruction, also in the classes of the high schools, academies and colleges. In the section that deals with the relations between Church and state the following questions and answers occur: 'Why has the Church higher authority than the state? Because the end of the Church is the highest of all ends' (namely papal rule). 'What right has the Pope in consequence of this supremacy? The right to declare invalid the laws and acts of a government that injure the salvation of souls or the natural rights of citizens.' In the same section, under the heading 'Union of Church and State,' the following questions and answers are found: 'What should the state do more than respect the rights and liberty of the Church? The state should also the Church