# Synodical Conference Convention Proceedings_St. Louis Missouri_1916_S25
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

of the Ev. Luth. Synodical Conference of North America. 1916. 25

Let us look at the field of education, higher as well as lower: what lively activity the Roman Church displays! How eager it is not only to instruct the children of its own members from youth on in its own schools, but also, especially in its higher schools, its colleges, its seminaries, to get children of Protestants, of non-Catholics, in order thus to bring the growing youth under its influence. In how many cases it also succeeds, above all in its higher schools for young women, which are conducted by nuns who are especially concerned to increase the influence of their Church. According to the figures of the "Official Catholic Directory" for the year 1911 the Roman Church in the United States had, not counting the priests' seminaries, the following schools: "Colleges for boys, 225; academies for girls, 696; parishes with schools, 4,972; children attending, 1,270,131." In addition there were 285 orphanages with 57,928 children. The total number of churches and chapels was 13,461. But that is not enough: Rome also seeks more and more to gain control of the public schools, again chiefly in the large cities. Wherever possible, Catholics are sought to be elected to the school board, and through it, in turn, as many members of the Roman Church as possible to be appointed as teachers in the schools. And these then easily find opportunity to influence the children in the Roman sense.

It is no different in the field of the press, which has such eminent influence on public opinion. The Roman Church understands masterfully how to have its fame, its power, its importance trumpeted abroad by the great newspapers and influential magazines of our country. On the other hand, our press suppresses or pushes into the background as far as possible anything that might harm the Roman Church. People fear the influence of the Roman priests, their boycott, with which they often threaten quite openly.

It is the same in the political field. Rome seeks more and more to influence the political life of our nation, despite all the talk of separation of state and Church, of freedom of conscience and religion, with which the citizens of the country are to be lulled into security. Again and again an effort is made to dispose the political parties of our country in favor of the Roman Church. People try to impress them with the wonderful organization of this Church, with the power which it exercises over the consciences of its members and thereby over their votes. And the leading men of our country also let themselves be influenced again and again. Let us think of the Mass on Thanksgiving Day, which the President of our country, with his cabinet and with the members of our highest court, has repeatedly attended, and thereby stamped it with the seal of an official service. Let us think of the fact that President Taft conveyed to the Pope the thanks of the American