It was founded at Mainz in 1848 by the cathedral canon, Adam Franz Lennig, and Caspar Riffel (died 1856), to organize the Catholics of Germany in defence of their religious freedom and civil rights.
The organizers of the association called a congress of the Catholic societies of Germany which met at Mainz, 3–6 October 1848.
[1] It was directed by two central committees, and the general meetings were held nearly every year; in addition, there are also cantonal and district assemblies.
[2] Named after Pope Pius X, it was founded at the Fifth Catholic Congress held in Vienna in 1905 after the presentation by the Jesuit, Victor Kolb, in order to offset liberal daily press.
This end was to be gained largely by developing the Catholic daily newspapers of Vienna.