Pope Pius IX sent an encyclical, or papal letter, to all bishops of the church. In it he enclosed a Syllabus of Errors , a compilation of eighty evils in modern society. In no uncertain terms, he declared war on socialism, rationalism, freedom of the press, freedom of religion, public schools, Bible societies, separation of church and state, and a host of other demons in the Age of Progress. He concluded by denying that “the Roman pontiff can and ought to reconcile himself and reach agreement with progress, liberalism, and modern civilization.”