is very similar to what WASPS in massive numbers once insisted was the truth about Catholics. After all, we Catholics are a well connected transnational Church whose raising d’etre is to preach the Gospel “to all nations”  And no matter how many times the Church denied intentions of a hostile takeover or subversion the so-called nativists grew more and more cynical and often enough became violent.

The Ku Klux Klan (among many others) historically targeted Catholics as part of their broader nativist and anti-immigrant agenda, particularly during the 1920s when they sought to marginalize Catholic communities through various initiatives and public demonstrations. Their anti-Catholic sentiment was fueled by fears of Catholic loyalty to the Pope and foreign influence in American society.

+ America’s dark and not-very-distant history of hating Catholics (The Guardian) “From the first Puritan settlers to televangelists, leading political, business and religious figures lambasted followers of Rome as theological abominations and traitorous fifth columnists.”