▁that ▁if ▁such ▁opinions ▁did ▁exist , ▁the ▁Pope ▁called ▁upon ▁the ▁hierarchy ▁to ▁er ad icate ▁them . ▁Card inal ▁Gib b ons ▁and ▁many ▁other ▁pre l ates ▁replied ▁to ▁Rome . ▁With ▁a ▁near - un anim ous ▁voice , ▁they ▁declared ▁that ▁the ▁inc rimin ated ▁opinions ▁had ▁no ▁existence ▁among ▁American ▁C athol ics . ▁He cker ▁never ▁had ▁count en anced ▁the ▁slight est ▁departure ▁from ▁Catholic ▁principles ▁in ▁their ▁full est ▁and ▁most ▁strict ▁application . ▁The ▁disturb ance ▁caused ▁by ▁the ▁condem n ation ▁was ▁slight ; ▁almost ▁the ▁entire ▁la ity ▁and ▁a ▁considerable ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁cler gy ▁were ▁una ware ▁of ▁this ▁affair . ▁However , ▁the ▁po pe ' s ▁brief ▁did ▁end ▁up ▁strength ening ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁the ▁conserv atives ▁in ▁France . ▁ ▁Leg acy ▁and ▁influence ▁ ▁The ▁legacy ▁of ▁Test em ▁bene vol ent iae ▁nost ra e ▁is ▁disput ed . ▁Among ▁Trad itional ist ▁C athol ics ▁today ▁there ▁remains ▁w ides p read ▁support ▁for ▁its ▁statements ▁against ▁ec umen ical ism ▁and ▁liberal ism . ▁In ▁more ▁liberal ▁circles , ▁however , ▁sch ol ars ▁maintain ▁that ▁it ▁largely ▁destroyed ▁Catholic ▁intellectual ▁life ▁in ▁the ▁US ▁for ▁the ▁first ▁half ▁of ▁the ▁tw enti eth ▁century . ▁And ▁yet , ▁many ▁others ▁hold ▁that ▁its ▁importance ▁has ▁been ▁ex agger ated . ▁It ▁does , ▁however , ▁highlight ▁the ▁une asy ▁relationship ▁between ▁the ▁Holy ▁See ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁a