“It is indeed wonderful how greatly the progress of Catholicism is favored by those frequent assemblies of the Bishops, which our Predecessors have more than once approved.  When the knowledge and the experience of each are communicated to all the Bishops, it will be easily seen what errors are secretly spreading and how they can be extirpated; what threatens to weaken discipline among clergy and people and how best the remedy can be applied; what movements if any, either local or nation wide, are afoot for the control or judicious restraint of which the wise direction of the Bishop may be most helpful.”

“It is not enough however, to cast out evil; good work must at once take its place and so these men are incited by mutual example.  Once admitted that the harvest depends upon the method and the means, it follows easily, that the assembled Bishops returning to their respective dioceses, will rival one another in reproducing those works, which they have seen elsewhere in operation to the distinct advantage of the Faithful.”

Great indeed are the advantages that accrue to the Church, in its social influence particularly, from a Congress.  And indeed, since on Catholic principles alone depend the solution of the social problem, the welfare of Church and State alike requires that Catholics in every condition of life should co-operate in the application of those principles.  The influence of the Church in these matters depends not only on her official teaching, but greatly on the social activities of Her children.  These activities translate into tangible facts Her doctrines on justice and charity, and thus spread the beneficial influence of Her teachings.

The specific end of the Congress is to develop, co-ordinate, and direct these social activities of Catholics and bring their influence to bear upon the community at large. Instaurare omnia in Christo . . . is the programme of such gatherings.

The Congress (1) establishes a Catholic platform and rallies our forces around it, by creating a social solidarity, (2) enables our existing institutions and societies to extend their activities by the co-ordination of efforts; (3) facilitates the creation of new organizations to meet specific needs.  “We cannot,” writes Father Plater, S.J., “stand aloof from secular movements, neither may we wholly surrender ourselves to them.  We must by common study bring them to the test of Catholic principles and we must by common action bend them to the great issues of which the world is losing sight.”

Moreover, once the Catholic laity has been lured into taking active part in social work, once it feels that it is no more a dead unit but a living factor, the Congress becomes a necessity, for it then serves as the mental background that throws its work in relief and keeps the fires of enthusiasm burning.

Necessity of a Catholic Congress at the Present Time.

The absolute absence of unity and cohesion in our various social activities; the momentous period of reconstruction with its far-reaching consequences in our national, political, social and economic life; the examples given to us by other Catholic countries and by our own enemies; these three and potent reasons urge, in our estimation, the calling of a Congress to get our bearings and to discuss ways and means of action.