# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1916_S23
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1916. 23

Therefore a constant, tireless struggle against the papacy at Rome is so necessary and important, because the Pope is not only still the same old evil Foe that he was then, in the times of the Reformation, but has also hardened and obdurated himself still more in his wickedness against Christ and his Gospel. But we have yet a further reason, which reads in the first thesis thus: "The Roman Church is making special efforts, precisely in our time and in our country, to bring its cause to victory and to suppress the Gospel and the true Church of Christ. It has also succeeded, as in other so-called Protestant countries, so especially in our country, in gaining wide-reaching influence in all fields." That both are true, that Rome makes every effort to bring its cause to victory, that it has also partly succeeded, that it has steadily increased in power and influence in this country, especially in recent years, above all since our war with Spain, no one will deny who has followed the history of our country with open eyes. The Roman Church itself makes no secret of either fact, but boasts of them and proclaims to the Protestant churches their early downfall. That is the program of the Roman Church in our country: to make America, especially the United States, predominantly Catholic. That was the watchword already issued in June 1909 at a conference of so-called Roman missionaries at Washington, D. C.; it is the battle cry that one hears again and again in those circles. We hear it at all the larger, more important gatherings of Catholics; it rings out again and again in the speeches of the bishops and of other so-called princes of the Church. Again and again an effort is made to acquaint the Catholic people with this plan. Thus, for example, Bishop W. F. Fallon of London, Ont., on the occasion of a missionary congress held in Boston, declared in an address: "The Missionary Congress is the simple and natural consequence of Catholic principles, and these principles demand an answer to the question: What is this activity to mean? It means that we want to make the North American continent Catholic, that we want to bring Jesus Christ to America through the divine teachings of the Catholic Church and under the pastoral rule of the Pope of Rome." These are the openly and quite unconcealedly declared aims of the papal church: to bring America under the pastoral rule of the Pope, and that means, according to papal principles, to make the Roman Church the state-recognized church in our country, while all other churches would, at best, be only tolerated with various restrictions, or be wholly suppressed. We know indeed how Rome conducts itself in such countries where it has the majority of the citizens on its side.