Catholics, the Press, and Politics in 19th century America

      I made note of two short blurbs on the above topics while reviewing Der Lutheraner in the late 19th century, after Walther's passing.  Did those who followed Walther also warn against Rome like he did?  We find out from two of those who followed in his footsteps.  From Der Lutheraner, Vol. 50 (1894), p. 31 [EN]: 

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The Jesuits and the Press of this Country. A newspaper reports: “Every Jesuit college in America has a journalism class to train young men and girls to work on the various daily newspapers. And almost every large daily paper in this country has employed one or more of the graduates of these classes. The staff of the Associated Press, as well as of other similar companies for the circulation of the daily news, consists largely of Roman Catholic managers and reporters.” — Rome knows that as fear of Rome wanes, so does vigilance against Rome. That is why the Roman dragon is retracting its claws for the time being, is feigning like a lamb, and is leaving no means untried to make public opinion favorable to itself.     F. B. [Friedrich Bente]

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I was not surprised at Bente's report from his time and glad that he brought this to light, to show that the influence of Rome was growing even then. And the Associated Press can be questioned regarding its promise of giving "an accurate and impartial report of the news". — Anecdotally, I was surprised to recently find that the Wall Street Journal not infrequently shows pictures of the Pope on its front page, even though my reading of the same paper in the 1970s found little or no references to Roman Catholicism in that earlier period.  

      And from Vol. 55 (1899), p. 36 [EN]: 

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The papists are now proceeding to establish yet another, the fourth, institution of higher learning in our federal capital, Washington. It is to be named "Collegium of the Holy Cross" to provide an even higher education for students who have already been through the Roman Catholic University of Notre Dame in Indiana. The plans for the main building have already been largely made and the funds, it is said, are ready, so that the construction can be started immediately, and already in September of this year, classes are to begin in the new institution. It is certainly no accident that the Papists should choose the State [national] capital for institutions of this kind, while they could build the same or larger institutions in many other places at less expense, and in areas where the Roman Catholic population would be much stronger than in the District of Columbia. It is political influence that is sought and unfortunately found, in that where the representatives of our people are together, and at the same time the representatives of all foreign nations are easily accessible, a number of the most learned and spiritually eminent men from the Roman Catholic Church of this country are gathered into the faculties of these institutions, who can then, at any time, exert their influence where it can be most effective for the political interests, and by showing the studying youth the ways of higher politics, in which they again find opportunity to promote the plans of the Roman See in many ways. Our public affairs are now already influenced by the papist dignitaries of the land to an extent which no one would have thought possible fifty years ago, and we American Lutherans have now more than ever the duty to warn against Rome as a dangerous enemy, not only of the Church, but also of the State. A. G. [A. L. Gräbner]

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A search of current Catholic/Jesuit institutions in the Washington D.C. area turned up only 3: Catholic University of America, Georgetown University (Jesuit), and Trinity Washington University (Nancy Pelosi, Class of 1962).  The last of these could be what Gräbner reports on above, but that is speculation.  In any case, Catholic influence in Washington D. C. is overwhelming now, and this blog does not have space to list all but the above mentioned Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, President Joe Biden, and Supreme Court Justice John Roberts. Seven members of the Supreme Court are currently Roman Catholic, followers of the Pope. — Now even Lutheran professors of "conservative" Lutheran synods have been trained at Catholic/Jesuit universities. But Gräbner's charge to American Lutherans, "to warn against Rome", is needed now more than ever. Lord, have mercy on us!