# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1916_S24
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

24 Proceedings of the twenty-sixth convention

To attain this goal, to subject our beautiful country, the land of true religious liberty, to the tyranny over consciences of the papacy, Rome employs every means; in this the Roman hierarchy is tireless. And it has made very noteworthy progress in reaching this goal. Let us only consider what significant growth the Roman Church enjoys in our country. Immigration in recent years has been essentially Roman, from the Catholic countries of southern Europe. To be sure, a considerable percentage of this immigration is lost to the Roman Church. Some are won by the Protestant sects, a still larger part falls into complete churchlessness; but enough remains to strengthen the Roman Church considerably. Let us consider further the activity and zeal of the Roman Church in its so-called missions among the Protestants of our country; and these missions are by no means as unsuccessful as some think. What power and wealth the Roman Church displays, especially in the most influential centers of our country, in the great cities! One congregation after another is founded, one splendid church after another built; in addition come the monasteries, schools, charitable institutions, orphanages, hospitals, reformatories, all as magnificent, large and conspicuous as possible. Added to this the great assemblies, the missionary congresses, the Eucharistic Congress, that glorification of the abomination of all abominations in the papacy, the sacrifice of the Mass, the assemblies of Catholic laymen, the associations and societies, the Knights of Columbus, etc., all launched with great pomp, with a great display of power, all calculated to bring the power and influence of this Church before the eyes of the masses of the people. And the Roman Church has also succeeded in strongly influencing the masses. How differently the Roman Church is judged now by the great masses of the people than, say, forty or fifty years ago! When one now speaks of the Church without qualification, one usually understands the Roman by it. When it is a matter of securing spiritual aid for someone who has met with an accident, one naturally calls first of all the Roman priest, and he is usually also quickly at hand. Everywhere the Roman Church meets us in ordinary life, down to the so-called nickel shows. Everywhere the Roman Church seeks to push itself into the foreground of interest and to work upon the masses of the people. It does so especially also through its charitable institutions, which it builds to a considerable extent with the money of Protestants, and through which it gives itself the appearance of being the special benefactor of the country. It is likewise often so in strikes and labor difficulties. The Roman priest appears as mediator, and through the power which he exercises over the consciences of Catholic workers and employers he also often succeeds in restoring peace and order and thus in raising the standing of the Roman Church.