History of Roman Catholic presidential nominees Catholic guidelines for politicians and other believers History of Catholic presidential and vice-presidential nominees in the U.S. Sponsored link. Alfred E Smith's run for the presidency (1928): The Rev. Thomas Reese, SJ, wrote: When Catholic immigrants arrived in this country at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, they were the underclass confronted by a white, Anglo Saxon, Protestant (WASP) establishment that was predominately Republican. As a result, from the very beginning Catholics were drawn to the Democratic Party. Even before Franklin D. Roosevelt, Catholics became an essential component of the Democratic Party coalition in 1928 when Al Smith ran for the presidency and was met by the most anti-Catholic campaign ever waged in the United States. Luckily for Catholics and the Democratic Party, Smith lost, otherwise they would have been blamed for the Great Depression. 1 According to an essay by the U.S. State Department: "Anti-Catholic prejudice, the fear that a Catholic president would 'take orders' from the Pope, insured Smith's defeat.

Methodist Bishop Adna Leonard declared: 'No Governor can kiss the papal ring and get within gunshot of the White House.' Even liberal Protestants were concerned. The Christian Century declared it could not 'look with unconcern upon the seating of a representative of an alien culture, of a medieval, Latin mentality, of an undemocratic hierarchy and of a foreign potentate in the great office of the President of the United States'." 2 Anti-Catholic hate and bigotry was sufficient to prevent any other Catholic presidential candidate from being nominated for over three decades. Still, in spite of Smith's defeat, as ReligionLink states: "Smith's nomination was a watershed, a sign that an immigrant community had emerged from its isolation..." 3 John F. Kennedy's run for the presidency (1960): Kennedy was the second Roman Catholic nominee for president of the U.S., and the first who was successfully elected in 1960. During his election campaign, Kennedy, he gave a speech to the Southern Baptist Conference.

He said, in part: "I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute -- where no Catholic prelate would tell the President (should he be a Catholic) how to act and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote -- where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference -- and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the President who might appoint him or the people who might elect him." "I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish -- where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source -- where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials -- and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all." "For, while this year it may be a Catholic against whom the finger of suspicion is pointed, in other years it has been, and may someday be again, a Jew -- or a Quaker -- or a Unitarian -- or a Baptist.

It was Virginia's harassment of Baptist preachers, for example, that led to Jefferson's statute of religious freedom. Today, I may be the victim -- but tomorrow it may be you -- until the whole fabric of our harmonious society is ripped apart at a time of great national peril." "Finally, I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end -- where all men and all churches are treated as equal -- where every man has the same right to attend or not to attend the church of his choice -- where there is no Catholic vote, no anti-Catholic vote, no bloc voting of any kind -- and where Catholics, Protestants and Jews, both the lay and the pastoral level, will refrain from those attitudes of disdain and division which have so often marred their works in the past, and promote instead the American ideal of brotherhood." "That is the kind of America in which I believe. And it represents the kind of Presidency in which I believe -- a great office that must be neither humbled by making it the instrument of any religious group, nor tarnished by arbitrarily withholding it, its occupancy from the members of any religious group.

I believe in a President whose views on religion are his own private affair, neither imposed upon him by the nation or imposed by the nation upon him as a condition to holding that office. ..." But let me stress again that these are my views -- for, contrary to common newspaper usage, I am not the Catholic candidate for President [but the candidate] who happens also to be a Catholic. I do not speak for my church on public matters -- and the church does not speak for me. Whatever issue may come before me as President, if I should be elected -- on birth control, divorce, censorship, gambling, or any other subject -- I will make my decision in accordance with these views, in accordance with what my conscience tells me to be in the national interest, and without regard to outside religious pressure or dictate. And no power or threat of punishment could cause me to decide otherwise. But if the time should ever come -- and I do not concede any conflict to be remotely possible -- when my office would require me to either violate my conscience, or violate the national interest, then I would resign the office, and I hope any other conscientious public servant would do likewise.

But I do not intend to apologize for these views to my critics of either Catholic or Protestant faith, nor do I intend to disavow either my views or my church in order to win this election. If I should lose on the real issues, I shall return to my seat in the Senate satisfied that I tried my best and was fairly judged. But if this election is decided on the basis that 40,000,000 Americans lost their chance of being President on the day they were baptized, then it is the whole nation that will be the loser in the eyes of Catholics and non-Catholics around the world, in the eyes of history, and in the eyes of our own people. 2 Some commentators believe that Kennedy lost at least a half million votes because of his religious affiliation. However, he did receive support from 78% of his fellow Catholics. He defeated Nixon by only 100,000 votes.

Sponsored link: Recent activity: Following Kennedy's election, three Catholics were nominated for vice president in the next three election cycles: William Miller (R) in 1964, Edmund Muskie (D) in 1968 Sargent Shriver (D) in 1972. 3 Walter Mondale selected Geraldine Ferraro (D) for his vice-presidential candidate in 1984. She was the first female VP candidate in history. However, there has been only one Roman Catholic presidential nominee in the 46 years since Kennedy. That was John Kerry in 2004. This is in spite of the fact that the Roman Catholic Church claims over 65 million members in the U.S. Recent statements by Catholic leaders have reopened a situation that many people believe Kennedy had closed in 1960. The Vatican expects Roman Catholic politicians to follow the Church's teachings, regardless of the representative, his or her constituents, and the majority beliefs in the country. There have been instances in which Catholic politicians were denied communion because of their stance on abortion access.

These expectations and actions by the Catholic Church may well make it much more difficult for Roman Catholics to become elected to senior political positions now and in the future. References used: The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today. Thomas J. Reese, "Catholic Voters: Pulled in two directions," America, 1996-NOV-02, at: "Address to Southern Baptist Leaders (1960)," U.S. State Department, at: "KENNEDY TO KERRY: Kerry, Catholics and the White House," ReligionLink.org, 2004-MAY-03, at: Site navigation: John F. Kennedy and Religion - John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum John F. Kennedy and Religion John F. Kennedy and Religion Anti-Catholic prejudice was still very much in the mainstream of American life when JFK decided to seek the presidency in 1960. Only one Catholic, Governor Alfred E. Smith of New York, had ever been the presidential nominee of one of the major parties.

Smith’s 1928 campaign was dogged by claims that he would build a tunnel connecting the White House and the Vatican and would amend the Constitution to make Catholicism the nation’s established religion. He was overwhelmingly defeated—even losing much of the then Democratic Solid South. JFK established an informal network of advisers on the religious issue—including speechwriter Ted Sorensen, Dean Francis Bowes Sayre Jr. of the National Cathedral and several journalists. It was clear from the outset that Kennedy had to enter the state primaries to prove to skeptical party leaders that he was a viable national candidate. In the Wisconsin primary, he defeated Senator Hubert Humphrey with 56% of the vote but failed to win a majority of the Protestant vote—an ominous sign. West Virginia Primary As a result, Kennedy decided to enter the West Virginia primary—a state in which Catholics constituted less than 4% of the electorate.

When the polls in West Virginia showed JFK behind by 20 points, he decided to address the issue head on in a speech before the American Society of Newspaper Editors: Are we going to admit to the world that a Jew can be elected Mayor of Dublin, a Protestant can be chosen Foreign Minister of France, a Moslem can be elected to the Israeli parliament—but a Catholic cannot be President of the United States? Are we going to admit to the world--worse still, are we going to admit to ourselves—that one-third of the American people is forever barred from the White House? In the end, after a vigorous campaign which included extensive use of his family’s personal wealth, Kennedy won by 93,000 to 61,000 and declared, "I think we have buried the religion issue once and for all." He was wrong. Greater Houston Ministerial Association In September, a group of 150 Protestant ministers met in Washington and declared that Kennedy could not remain independent of Church control unless he specifically repudiated its teachings. Days later Senator Kennedy received an invitation to address the Greater Houston Ministerial Association.

Kennedy’s candid and eloquent performance in Houston won nearly universal praise from the press and film of his talk was used extensively by the JFK campaign. In addition, more than 500,000 copies of his remarks were distributed to clergy, especially Protestant clergy, around the nation. The religious issue never surfaced again in a way which demanded the candidate’s full attention, but continued to bubble just beneath the surface until Election Day. Vice President Richard Nixon, the Republican nominee, accused the Kennedy campaign of using the Houston film in predominantly Catholic urban areas in order to stimulate voter turnout. The Finals Days of the Campaign Late in October, three American-born bishops in Puerto Rico issued a statement forbidding Catholics from voting for candidates who disagreed with the Church on abortion and birth control. Kennedy initially decided to respond to their declaration, but finally concluded that it was unwise to focus too much attention on this potentially damaging incident. Several studies have concluded that this controversy, coming at the worst possible time, was a significant factor in the sudden halt in Kennedy’s momentum and the surge toward Nixon in the final days of the campaign.

Kennedy won the presidency in one of the closest elections in American history—by a margin of 118,000 votes out of 69 million. There is solid evidence that religion helped Kennedy in several urban and industrial states but was, at the same time, a significant factor in his loss of Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, and Tennessee—and in his very close win in Texas. More than a half century after his presidency, JFK remains the only Catholic to have held the highest office in the land. John F. Kennedy - U.S. Presidents - HISTORY.com John F. Kennedy A+E Networks Introduction Elected in 1960 as the 35th president of the United States, 43-year-old John F. Kennedy became the youngest man and the first Roman Catholic to hold that office. He was born into one of America’s wealthiest families and parlayed an elite education and a reputation as a military hero into a successful run for Congress in 1946 and for the Senate in 1952. As president, Kennedy confronted mounting Cold War tensions in Cuba, Vietnam and elsewhere. He also led a renewed drive for public service and eventually provided federal support for the growing civil rights movement.

His assassination on November 22, 1963, in Dallas, Texas, sent shockwaves around the world and turned the all-too-human Kennedy into a larger-than-life heroic figure. To this day, historians continue to rank him among the best-loved presidents in American history. Google John F. Kennedy’s Early Life Born on May 29, 1917, in Brookline, Massachusetts , John F. Kennedy (known as Jack) was the second of nine children. His parents, Joseph and Rose Kennedy, were members of two of Boston’s most prominent Irish Catholic political families. Despite persistent health problems throughout his childhood and teenage years (he would later be diagnosed with a rare endocrine disorder called Addison’s disease), Jack led a privileged youth, attending private schools such as Canterbury and Choate and spending summers in Hyannis Port on Cape Cod. Joe Kennedy, a hugely successful businessman and an early supporter of Franklin D. Roosevelt , was appointed chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission in 1934 and in 1937 was named U.S. ambassador to Great Britain. As a student at Harvard University, Jack traveled in Europe as his father’s secretary.

His senior thesis about British’s unpreparedness for war was later published as an acclaimed book, “Why England Slept” (1940). Did You Know? John F. Kennedy's Senate career got off to a rocky start when he refused to condemn Senator Joseph McCarthy, a personal friend of the Kennedy family whom the Senate voted to censure in 1954 for his relentless pursuit of suspected communists. In the end, though he planned to vote against McCarthy, Kennedy missed the vote when he was hospitalized after back surgery. Jack joined the U.S. Navy in 1941 and two years later was sent to the South Pacific, where he was given command of a Patrol-Torpedo (PT) boat. In August 1943, a Japanese destroyer struck the craft, PT-109, in the Solomon Islands. Kennedy helped some of his marooned crew back to safety, and was awarded the Navy and Marine Corps Medal for heroism. His older brother, Joe Jr., was not so fortunate: He was killed in August 1944 when his Navy airplane exploded on a secret mission against a German rocket-launching site. A grieving Joe Sr.

told Jack it was his duty to fulfill the destiny once intended for Joe Jr.: to become the first Catholic president of the United States. JFK’s Beginnings in Politics Abandoning plans to be a journalist, Jack left the Navy by the end of 1944. Less than a year later, he was back in Boston preparing for a run for Congress in 1946. As a moderately conservative Democrat, and backed by his father’s fortune, Jack won his party’s nomination handily and carried the mostly working-class Eleventh District by nearly three to one over his Republican opponent in the general election. He entered the 80th Congress in January 1947, at the age of 29, and immediately attracted attention (as well as some criticism from older members of the Washington establishment) for his youthful appearance and relaxed, informal style. Kennedy won reelection to the House of Representatives in 1948 and 1950, and in 1952 ran successfully for the Senate, defeating the popular Republican incumbent Henry Cabot Lodge Jr. On September 12, 1953, Kennedy married the beautiful socialite and journalist Jacqueline (Jackie) Lee Bouvier.

Two years later, he was forced to undergo a painful operation on his back. While recovering from the surgery, Jack wrote another best-selling book, “Profiles in Courage,” which won the Pulitzer Prize for biography in 1957. (The book was later revealed to be mostly the work of Kennedy’s longtime aide, Theodore Sorenson.) Kennedy’s Road to Presidency After nearly earning his party’s nomination for vice president (under Adlai Stevenson) in 1956, Kennedy announced his candidacy for president on January 2, 1960. He defeated a primary challenge from the more liberal Hubert Humphrey and chose the Senate majority leader, Lyndon Johnson of Texas , as his running mate. In the general election, Kennedy faced a difficult battle against his Republican opponent, Richard Nixon, a two-term vice president under the popular Dwight D. Eisenhower . Offering a young, energetic alternative to Nixon and the status quo, Kennedy benefited from his performance (and telegenic appearance) in the first-ever televised debates, watched by millions of viewers.

In November’s election, Kennedy won by a narrow margin–less than 120,000 out of some 70 million votes cast–becoming the youngest man and the first Roman Catholic to be elected president of the United States. With his beautiful young wife and their two small children (Caroline, born in 1957, and John Jr., born just weeks after the election), Kennedy lent an unmistakable aura of youth and glamour to the White House . In his inaugural address, given on January 20, 1961, the new president called on his fellow Americans to work together in the pursuit of progress and the elimination of poverty, but also in the battle to win the ongoing Cold War against communism around the world. Kennedy’s famous closing words expressed the need for cooperation and sacrifice on the part of the American people: “Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country.” Kennedy’s Foreign Policy Challenges An early crisis in the foreign affairs arena occurred in April 1961, when Kennedy approved the plan to send 1,400 CIA-trained Cuban exiles in an amphibious landing at the Bay of Pigs in Cuba.

Intended to spur a rebellion that would overthrow the communist leader Fidel Castro , the mission ended in failure, with nearly all of the exiles captured or killed. That June, Kennedy met with Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in Vienna to discuss the city of Berlin, which had been divided after World War II between Allied and Soviet control. Two months later, East German troops began erecting a wall to divide the city. Kennedy sent an army convoy to reassure West Berliners of U.S. support, and would deliver one of his most famous speeches in West Berlin in June 1963. Kennedy clashed again with Khrushchev in October 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis. After learning that the Soviet Union was constructing a number of nuclear and long-range missile sites in Cuba that could pose a threat to the continental United States, Kennedy announced a naval blockade of Cuba. The tense standoff lasted nearly two weeks before Khrushchev agreed to dismantle Soviet missile sites in Cuba in return for America’s promise not to invade the island and the removal of U.S. missiles from Turkey and other sites close to Soviet borders.

In July 1963, Kennedy won his greatest foreign affairs victory when Khrushchev agreed to join him and Britain’s Prime Minister Harold Macmillan in signing a nuclear test ban treaty. In Southeast Asia, however, Kennedy’s desire to curb the spread of communism led him to escalate U.S. involvement in the conflict in Vietnam, even as privately he expressed his dismay over the situation. Kennedy’s Leadership at Home During his first year in office, Kennedy oversaw the launch of the Peace Corps, which would send young volunteers to underdeveloped countries all over the world. Otherwise, he was unable to achieve much of his proposed legislation during his lifetime, including two of his biggest priorities: income tax cuts and a civil rights bill. Kennedy was slow to commit himself to the civil rights cause, but was eventually forced into action, sending federal troops to support the desegregation of the University of Mississippi after riots there left two dead and many others injured. The following summer, Kennedy announced his intention to propose a comprehensive civil rights bill and endorsed the massive March on Washington that took place that August. Kennedy was an enormously popular president, both at home and abroad, and his family drew famous comparisons to King Arthur’s court at Camelot.

His brother Bobby served as his attorney general, while the youngest Kennedy son, Edward (Ted), was elected to Jack’s former Senate seat in 1962. Jackie Kennedy became an international icon of style, beauty and sophistication, though stories of her husband’s numerous marital infidelities (and his personal association with members of organized crime) would later emerge to complicate the Kennedys’ idyllic image. JFK’s Assassination On November 22, 1963, the president and his wife landed in Dallas; he had spoken in San Antonio, Austin and Fort Worth the day before. From the airfield, the party then traveled in a motorcade to the Dallas Trade Mart, the site of Jack’s next speaking engagement. Shortly after 12:30 p.m., as the motorcade was passing through downtown Dallas, shots rang out; Kennedy was struck twice, in the neck and head, and was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at a nearby hospital. Twenty-four-year-old Lee Harvey Oswald, known to have Communist sympathies, was arrested for the killing but was shot and fatally wounded two days later by local nightclub owner Jack Ruby while being led to jail.

Almost immediately, alternative theories of Kennedy’s assassination emerged–including conspiracies run by the KGB, the Mafia and the U.S. military-industrial complex, among others. A presidential commission led by Chief Justice Earl Warren concluded that Oswald had acted alone, but speculation and debate over the assassination has persisted. Access hundreds of hours of historical video, commercial free, with HISTORY Vault . Start your free trial today. Tags John F. Kennedy | whitehouse.gov Air Force One John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy was the 35th President of the United States (1961-1963), the youngest man elected to the office. On November 22, 1963, when he was hardly past his first thousand days in office, JFK was assassinated in Dallas, Texas, becoming also the youngest President to die. On November 22, 1963, when he was hardly past his first thousand days in office, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was killed by an assassin's bullets as his motorcade wound through Dallas, Texas. Kennedy was the youngest man elected President; he was the youngest to die.

Of Irish descent, he was born in Brookline, Massachusetts, on May 29, 1917. Graduating from Harvard in 1940, he entered the Navy. In 1943, when his PT boat was rammed and sunk by a Japanese destroyer, Kennedy, despite grave injuries, led the survivors through perilous waters to safety. Back from the war, he became a Democratic Congressman from the Boston area, advancing in 1953 to the Senate. He married Jacqueline Bouvier on September 12, 1953. In 1955, while recuperating from a back operation, he wrote Profiles in Courage, which won the Pulitzer Prize in history. In 1956 Kennedy almost gained the Democratic nomination for Vice President, and four years later was a first-ballot nominee for President. Millions watched his television debates with the Republican candidate, Richard M. Nixon. Winning by a narrow margin in the popular vote, Kennedy became the first Roman Catholic President.

His Inaugural Address offered the memorable injunction: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country." As President, he set out to redeem his campaign pledge to get America moving again. His economic programs launched the country on its longest sustained expansion since World War II; before his death, he laid plans for a massive assault on persisting pockets of privation and poverty. Responding to ever more urgent demands, he took vigorous action in the cause of equal rights, calling for new civil rights legislation. His vision of America extended to the quality of the national culture and the central role of the arts in a vital society. He wished America to resume its old mission as the first nation dedicated to the revolution of human rights. With the Alliance for Progress and the Peace Corps, he brought American idealism to the aid of developing nations. But the hard reality of the Communist challenge remained. Shortly after his inauguration, Kennedy permitted a band of Cuban exiles, already armed and trained, to invade their homeland. The attempt to overthrow the regime of Fidel Castro was a failure. Soon thereafter, the Soviet Union renewed its campaign against West Berlin.

Kennedy replied by reinforcing the Berlin garrison and increasing the Nation's military strength, including new efforts in outer space. Confronted by this reaction, Moscow, after the erection of the Berlin Wall, relaxed its pressure in central Europe. Instead, the Russians now sought to install nuclear missiles in Cuba. When this was discovered by air reconnaissance in October 1962, Kennedy imposed a quarantine on all offensive weapons bound for Cuba. While the world trembled on the brink of nuclear war, the Russians backed down and agreed to take the missiles away. The American response to the Cuban crisis evidently persuaded Moscow of the futility of nuclear blackmail. Kennedy now contended that both sides had a vital interest in stopping the spread of nuclear weapons and slowing the arms race--a contention which led to the test ban treaty of 1963. The months after the Cuban crisis showed significant progress toward his goal of "a world of law and free choice, banishing the world of war and coercion." His administration thus saw the beginning of new hope for both the equal rights of Americans and the peace of the world. The Presidential biographies on WhiteHouse.gov are from “The Presidents of the United States of America,” by Frank Freidel and Hugh Sidey.

Copyright 2006 by the White House Historical Association. For more information about President Kennedy, please visit President Bush -- America's First Roman Catholikc President! Title: President Bush -- America's "First" Roman Catholic President? Resources to aid your Understanding "Catholicism: White Sepulcher Christianity" DVD Proving Catholicism is a practice of White Magic Witchcraft! Classic Book Exposing The Truth of the Roman Catholic Church Book Comparing Satanic Babylon and Egyptian Mysteries To The Roman Catholic Church Virgin Mary Is Proven To Be A Pagan Goddess DVD - Book Subtitle: George W. Bush once again is NOT the man he appears to be! Not only is he NOT a Born Again Christian as he claims, he is also so pro-Catholic he can be rightly considered the "first Roman Catholic President"! While President John Kennedy was officially America's first Roman Catholic President, he sought to divorce his religion from his office; but President Bush is bringing Roman Catholicism into the White House and is basing decisions upon its doctrines! In this manner, President Bush can be considered as this country's first Roman Catholic President! Your eyes will be opened as to the true inner spiritual heart of President Bush. The New World Order is coming!

Are you ready? Once you understand what this New World Order really is, and how it is being gradually implemented, you will be able to see it progressing in your daily news!! Learn how to protect yourself, your loved ones! Stand by for insights so startling you will never look at the news the same way again. YOU ARE NOW ON Copyright © 2008 Cutting Edge Ministries. All rights reserved. See full copyright notice below . When we say that our current American President -- George W. Bush -- is so strongly supportive of the Roman Catholic Church that he can rightly be considered America's "First Catholic President", that statement is not only devastating but extremely prophetic as well. How can that be, you say? The Illuminati, in early 1991, chose the Roman Catholic Pope -- whomever he will be at the time -- to be the Top Religious leader of the New World Order Religion! Such a designation means that the Church of Rome is the religious harlot of Revelation 17 and its Pope is the False Prophet of Revelation 13:10-18! This fact also means that the Roman Catholic Pope will be the one who forces all mankind to take Antichrist's "Mark of the Beast".

Consider the facts. 1) The New England Director of the House of Theosophy, Bill Lambert, revealed in a member's only seminar in August, 1991, that the Illuminati had just decided that the Roman Catholic Pope would be the top global leader in the New World Order Religion! Such a revelation means that the Roman Catholic Pope will be the False Prophet of Revelation 13:10-18! Please read the following articles which substantiate this fact. NEWS1052 -- "Occultic House of Theosophy Seminar Notes Reveal Details of Antichrist Appearance, plus Identifies Pope as False Prophet, and Reveals That Occultic Leaders Know About Rapture of Church" NEWS-RC-104 - "The Pope Is Declared To Be A Proper Receptor To Antichrist"! NEWS1285 - "Roman Catholic Pope Declared To Be Top Religious Leader In Kingdom of Antichrist! 2) Now, consider carefully the Bent Twisted Cross Crucifix which Pope John Paul II is carrying in the picture above.

Pope Benedict XVI carries the same Satanic Crucifix as this link proves -- BBC News Images - Pope Benedict XVI What is this crucifix and why is it important? We answer this question in our "What Saith Rome" section; quoting just a small portion: Study it closely, and you will realize that it is not a Traditional Crucifix. Rather, this Crucifix is known as a "Bent Cross". But, what does that mean? For the answer to that question, let us turn to a Roman Catholic author, Piers Compton, writing in his book, "The Broken Cross: Hidden Hand In the Vatican", Channel Islands, Neville Spearman, 1981. This Bent Crucifix is "... a sinister symbol, used by Satanists in the sixth century, that had been revived at the time of Vatican Two. This was a bent or broken cross, on which was displayed a repulsive and distorted figure of Christ, which the black magicians and sorcerers of the Middle Ages had made use of to represent the Biblical term 'Mark of the Beast'.

Yet, not only Paul VI, but his successors, the two John-Pauls, carried that object and held it up to be revered by crowds, who had not the slightest idea that it stood for anti-Christ." (p. 72) On page 56 Compton prints a picture of the Pope, John Paul II, holding this bent or broken cross, just as we have shown, at left. Did you catch that all-important revelation? This "Bent Crucifix" is a symbol of Antichrist! What an understanding! At this point, the Satanic symbolism reinforces the report from the Satanic House of Theosophy, above, that the Roman Pontiff was planned to be the False Prophet, serving alongside the Masonic Christ (Antichrist) when he appears! Bush - America's First Catholic President With this understanding, let us now continue our revelation that President George W. Bush is so pro-Catholic that he can rightly be considered America's First Catholic President.

NEWS BRIEF: " A Catholic Wind in the White House : Bush is said to be the nation's first Catholic president", By Daniel Burke, The Washington Post, April 13, 2008 "Shortly after Pope Benedict XVI's election in 2005, President Bush met with a small circle of advisers in the Oval Office. As some mentioned their own religious backgrounds, the president remarked that he had read one of the new pontiff's books about faith and culture in Western Europe. Save for one other soul, Bush was the only non-Catholic in the room. But his interest in the pope's writings was no surprise to those around him. As the White House prepares to welcome Benedict on Tuesday, many in Bush's inner circle expect the pontiff to find a kindred spirit in the president. Because if Bill Clinton can be called America's first black president, some say, then George W. Bush could well be the nation's first Catholic president." To hear a journalist call President George W Bush America's "first Catholic president" is shocking, even to an old news observer such as I.

After all, since the election of 2000, I have battled Protestant Evangelicals tooth and nail regarding their belief that Bush is a Born Again Christian. Because I was battling such massive misconceptions about Bush's Christianity, I began a table listing the President's Evil Fruits vs Good Fruits . Since I have posted 40-100 news articles every single day since October 9, 2001, in Daily News Updates , I see news that few other people see. Whenever I saw George Bush doing something which no genuine Christian would ever do, I listed it in the table, along with the news link. If you have not yet seen this table, please take a few moments to read it. You will discover that, while no genuine Christian would do the things Bush has done while President, a Skull & Bones President would gladly do all these things! Bush was raised in the Episcopal Church and currently belongs to a Methodist Church in Texas. Nowhere in the 8 full years of battling Evangelical misconceptions have I ever heard that President Bush was this pro-Catholic. Let us now return to our featured article in the Washington Post, above. Prepare to be shocked.

"But where Kennedy sought to divorce his religion from his office, Bush has welcomed Roman Catholic doctrine and teachings into the White House and based many important domestic policy decisions on them. 'I don't think there's any question about it', says Rick Santorum, former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania and a devout Catholic, who was the first to give Bush the 'Catholic president' label. 'He's certainly much more Catholic than Kennedy'." More Catholic than Kennedy? Incredible! Yet, Daniel Burke continues, with proof. * " 'I used to say that there are more Catholics on President Bush's speechwriting team than on any Notre Dame starting lineup in the past half-century', said former Bush scribe -- and Catholic -- William McGurn." (Ibid.) * "Bush has also placed Catholics in prominent roles in the federal government and relied on Catholic tradition to make a public case for everything from his faith-based initiative to antiabortion legislation. He has wedded Catholic intellectualism with evangelical political savvy to forge a powerful electoral coalition." Truly Born Again Christians must surely have their eyes opened by this most powerful sentences. President Bush has "wedded Catholic intellectualism with evangelical political savvy to forge a powerful electoral coalition"!

As Pope Benedict XVI lands in the United States today, is Bush motivated -- at least in part -- by the prospect of delivering the Roman Catholic vote to the Republican nominee, Senator John McCain? After all, 25% of all Americans are Roman Catholic -- at least nominally. Let us now return again to Daniel Burke: * " 'There is an awareness in the White House that the rich Catholic intellectual tradition is a resource for making the links between Christian faith, religiously grounded moral judgments and public policy', says Richard John Neuhaus, a Catholic priest and editor of the journal First Things who has tutored Bush in the church's social doctrines for nearly a decade." (Ibid.) Whenever you hear a term like this -- "making the links between Christian faith" -- you know you are looking at the effort to join Roman Catholicism with Protestant Christianity in an Ecumenical effort. Indeed, as you peruse Benedict's schedule, you will see a number of instances where he is participating in Ecumenical activities. Over the past 2 decades, the Roman Catholic Pope has led the global charge to join all of the world's religions together, with the Vatican at the head -- exactly where the Illuminati Plan wants to go.

* "There was a very self-conscious awareness that religious conservatives had brought Bush into the White House and that [the administration] wanted to do what they had been mandated to do," says Hudson. (Ibid.) "To conservative Catholics, that meant holding the line on same-sex marriage, euthanasia and embryonic stem cell research, and working to limit abortion in the United States and abroad while nominating judges who would eventually outlaw it. To make the case, Bush has often borrowed Pope John Paul II's mantra of promoting a 'culture of life'. Many Catholics close to him believe that the approximately 300 judges he has seated on the federal bench -- most notably Catholics John Roberts and Samuel Alito on the Supreme Court -- may yet be his greatest legacy." (Ibid.) Christians should be very concerned, for the Traditional Roman Catholic Church is still the Church of the 300-year Inquisition, during which time an estimated 75 million Protestants died very horrible deaths ["Thirty Years In Hell: From Darkness To Light", by ex-priest Bernard Fresenborg, 1904, North-American Book House, St. Louis, Missouri.] How committed is the modern Catholic Church to reinstating the murderous rampage of the Inquisition?

Soon after assuming his office in 1976, Pope John Paul II reinstated the Office of the Inquisition, which he renamed the Office of the Defender of the Faith. Do you know who John Paul II selected as the head of this new Inquisition office? He tapped Cardinal Ratzinger, who became Pope Benedict XVI after John Paul II died. Therefore, this "compassionate" Pope visiting the United States and being so greatly honored by President Bush was the director of the modern office of the Inquisition! Now, you know his inner heart of hearts. Why would Pope Paul VI reinstate the Office of the Inquisition unless he knew it would soon be needed again? With all prophecies of the appearance of Antichrist coming true together, just as Jesus mandated [Matthew 24:32-34], the time must have appeared right for Paul VI to reinstate this bloody office, for even though the original Inquisition killed tens of millions, prophecy tells us that the False Prophet will kill billions in 3 1/2 years! Since the Roman Catholic Pope was chosen as the future False Prophet [Read NEWS1052 and NEWS1285 ], it makes sense that the Office of Inquisition be reinstated.

Skull & Bones Adept, President Bush, will have no trouble whatsoever in promoting the Roman Catholic Church and its Pontiff, for as NEWS1052 reveals, the Illuminati decided in early, 1991, that the Pope would be the top leader in the new global New World Order Religion. This designation makes him the Biblical False Prophet of Revelation 13:10-18. After all, this prophecy describes the False Prophet who will force all men and women to accept the "Mark of the Beast" as he works for Antichrist. Listen to this most accurate description of the False Prophet: "And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon." (Rev 13:11) When this Scripture says "he had two horns like a lamb", it means that he shall pretend to be a Christian and will be accepted as such. Notice now how much occult power this False Prophet Pope will possess. "And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.

And he doeth great wonders ..." (Rev 13:12-13) Why would the preeminent Skull & Bones secret society be so eager to build up the Roman Catholic Pontiff? The Illuminati realized from the beginning that people are so inherently religious that they must have that religious nature satisfied. Therefore, they planned to raise up a religious leader who would lead the peoples of the world into the ultimate worship of Antichrist. This plan to raise up a global holy man was so deeply rooted in the Illuminati that initiates in Skull & Bones are required to kiss the toe of the Pope! Let us return once more to this Washington Post article for one concluding remark. "Former Bush speechwriter Michael Gerson, another evangelical with an affinity for Catholic teaching, says that the key to understanding Bush's domestic policy is to view it through the lens of Rome. Others go a step further. Paul Weyrich, an architect of the religious right, detects in Bush shades of former British prime minister Tony Blair, who converted to Catholicism last year. 'I think he is a secret believer', Weyrich says of Bush.

Similarly, John DiIulio, Bush's first director of faith-based initiatives, has called the president a 'closet Catholic'." (Ibid.) There you have the bottom line: President Bush is a "closet Catholic". We will get the opportunity to see him bow and kowtow to the Roman Catholic Pontiff -- the office of the future False Prophet. When the President meets Pope benedict XVI, I bet the Pontiff is wearing white and Bush is wearing a very dark color, either black or dark Navy Blue. You see, that is the Illuminist Zoroastrian Tradition ! Truly, the End of the Age is upon us. Are you spiritually ready? Is your family? Are you adequately protecting your loved ones? This is the reason for this ministry, to enable you to first understand the peril facing you, and then help you develop strategies to warn and protect your loved ones. Once you have been thoroughly trained, you can also use your knowledge as a means to open the door of discussion with an unsaved person. I have been able to use it many times, and have seen people come to Jesus Christ as a result.

These perilous times are also a time when we can reach many souls for Jesus Christ, making an eternal difference. If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, but have been very lukewarm in your spiritual walk with Him, you need to immediately ask Him for forgiveness and for renewal. He will instantly forgive you, and fill your heart with the joy of the Holy Spirit. Then, you need to begin a daily walk of prayer and personal Bible Study. If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as Savior, but have come to realize His reality and the approaching End of the Age, and want to accept His FREE Gift of Eternal Life, you can also do so now, in the privacy of your home. Once you accept Him as Savior, you are spiritually Born Again, and are as assured of Heaven as if you were already there. Then, you can rest assured that the Kingdom of Antichrist will not touch you spiritually. If you would like to become Born Again, turn to our Salvation Page now. We hope you have been blessed by this ministry, which seeks to educate and warn people, so that they can see the coming New World Order -- Kingdom of Antichrist -- in their daily news. Finally, we would love to hear from you.

You can contact us by mail or email. God bless you. Copyright © 2008 Cutting Edge Ministries. All rights reserved. This password protected article and its contents are protected under the copyright laws of the United States and other countries. This article is provided by subscription only for use by the subscriber and all other rights are expressly reserved by the copyright owner. Copying and pasting this article, in whole or in part, into e-mails or as attachments to e-mails or posting it on the Internet is strictly prohibited and may subject the offender to civil liability and severe criminal penalties (Title 17, United States Code, section 501 and 506). Copying and distributing this article in violation of the above notice is also a violation of God's moral law. Become a Headline news subscriber HERE. Subscribe to our free email updates and messages from our editor by entering your email address below : Email: Most presidents had specific Christian affiliations, but a few were not part of any church | Pew Research Center By David Masci 66 comments The U.S. Constitution famously prohibits any religious test or requirement for public office.

Still, most of the men who have been president have been openly religious, with many belonging to some of the country’s most prominent Protestant denominations. A similar dynamic is at work in the current campaign for the White House. With the exception of Democrat Bernie Sanders (who is Jewish), all of the presidential hopefuls are Christians and most are Protestants. In addition, all of the current presidential candidates have spoken openly about the importance of faith in their lives (again, with the exception of Sanders, who describes himself as “not particularly religious” ). Our recent survey shows that many Americans care about their leaders’ faith. For instance, half of all American adults say that it’s important for a president to share their religious beliefs. And more people now say there is “too little” religious discussion by their political leaders (40%) than say there is “too much” (27%). Historically, about a quarter of the presidents – including some of the nation’s most famous leaders, like George Washington, James Madison and Franklin Roosevelt – were members of the Episcopal Church, the American successor to the Church of England. The next largest group of presidents were affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, which has roots in Scotland.

Andrew Jackson, Woodrow Wilson and Ronald Reagan, all of whom had Scots-Irish ancestry, were among the commanders in chief who belonged to the denomination. Although Roman Catholicism has long been the nation’s largest religious denomination, John F. Kennedy remains the only Catholic president. And since Kennedy’s assassination in 1963, only one other Catholic, John Kerry, has been a presidential nominee on a major party ticket. Two of the most famous presidents in American history had no formal religious affiliation. The first, Thomas Jefferson, lost his faith in orthodox Christianity at an early age, but continued to believe in an impersonal God as the creator of the universe. Jefferson famously edited the New Testament by removing references to the miracles and leaving in Jesus’ teachings. The second, Abraham Lincoln, was raised in a religious household and spoke frequently about God (particularly as president), but never joined a church. Scholars have long debated Lincoln’s beliefs, including the question of whether or not he was a Christian , and some aspects of his faith remain a mystery . Lincoln is not the only president for whom there is some uncertainty surrounding his affiliation and beliefs.

Some presidents were more private than others about their religious leanings and some may have evolved in their beliefs during their life. For example, Lincoln’s second vice president and ultimately his successor, Andrew Johnson, identified himself as a Christian, but never was formally part of a denomination or congregation. Another 19th century president, Rutherford B. Hayes, sometimes attended Methodist churches, but “moved among Protestant denominations during his life,” according to the Berkley Center for Religion, Peace & World Affairs at Georgetown University. Barack Obama was raised in a nonreligious household but converted to Christianity as an adult and worshipped at a United Church of Christ congregation – Trinity United Church of Christ – in Chicago. However, Obama left Trinity during his first presidential campaign in 2008 after controversial statements by the church’s senior pastor, Jeremiah Wright, gained widespread attention. Today, Obama calls himself a Christian, but is not a regular churchgoer . Note: This post was originally published on Feb. 12, 2015, and has been updated.

Notable moments in the nearly 100-year history of meetings between popes and US presidents | Fox News Notable moments in the nearly 100-year history of meetings between popes and US presidents Published September 22, 2015 Facebook 0 Twitter 0 Email Print ** FILE ** President John F. Kennedy and Pope Paul VI talk at the Vatican in this July 2, 1963 file photo. Kennedy's meeting with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican was historic: the first Roman Catholic president of the United States was seeing the Roman Catholic pontiff only days after his coronation. Kennedy _ who struggled against anti-Catholic bias during his presidential campaign _ only shook hands with the pope rather than kissing his ring, as is the usual practice for Catholics. (AP Photo/File) (The Associated Press) President John F. Kennedy stands with Pope Paul VI at an audience in the Vatican July 2, 1963. Kennedy's meeting with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican was historic: the first Roman Catholic president of the United States was seeing the Roman Catholic pontiff only days after his coronation.

Kennedy _ who struggled against anti-Catholic bias during his presidential campaign _ only shook hands with the pope rather than kissing his ring, as is the usual practice for Catholics. (AP Photo) (The Associated Press) FILE - In this June 7, 1982 file photo, U.S. President Ronald Reagan and his wife, first lady, Nancy Reagan, meet Pope John Paul II at the Vatican. (AP Photo) (The Associated Press) Some notable moments in the nearly 100-year history of meetings between the pope and American presidents: __ President Woodrow Wilson and Pope Benedict XV held the first meeting at the Vatican on Jan. 4, 1919, after World War I. __ President John F. Kennedy's 1963 meeting with Pope Paul VI at the Vatican was historic: The first Roman Catholic president of the United States saw the Roman Catholic pontiff only days after the pope's coronation. Kennedy, who struggled against anti-Catholic bias during his presidential campaign, only shook hands with the pope rather than kissing his ring, the usual practice for Catholics. __ Pope Paul VI's trip to New York in October 1965 presented protocol problems. President Lyndon B.

Johnson wanted to see him, but the pontiff was chief of a state not officially recognized by the U.S. The solution: Johnson flew to New York for dinner at the apartment of his friend Arthur Goldberg, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and the pontiff was welcomed to Johnson's suite at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel the next day. Johnson had a penchant for somewhat odd papal presents. At that 1965 meeting, his gifts to Paul included a silver-framed, autographed photograph of himself. At their next meeting two years later at the Vatican, Johnson presented the pontiff with a foot-high bust of himself. __ President Jimmy Carter hosted the first White House visit by a pope. Pope John Paul II was greeted at Andrews Air Force Base outside Washington by Vice President Walter Mondale. The White House visit featured 10,000 guests, split between separate arrival and departure ceremonies on the North and South Lawns. __ President Ronald Reagan had trouble keeping his eyes open on his first visit to the Vatican in 1982. Reagan's head bobbed and his eyes repeatedly closed for seconds at a time while John Paul talked solemnly of crises in the Falkland Islands and Lebanon.

The incident came during a 10-day European trip with a schedule unusually packed for Reagan. But it fed already rampant talk that the 71-year-old president wasn't physically up to the job. Reagan sparked controversy over the separation of church and state by establishing in 1984 formal U.S. diplomatic relations with the Vatican, long a desire of the Holy See. Shortly afterward, Reagan and John Paul had a quick meeting during separate refueling stops at the airport in Fairbanks, Alaska, in May 1984. The pope had stopped there on his way to Seoul, South Korea; Reagan was on his way back from China. The Alaska stop generated tons of excitement, along with scores of T-shirts that said: "The Pope Meets the Dope." __ For his last of four meetings with Pope John Paul, President Bill Clinton flew to St. Louis to greet the pontiff as he began a U.S. tour.

Back in Washington, the Senate was in the throes of its impeachment trial against Clinton, and John Paul said "America faces a time of trial." But it was generally assumed that the pontiff, who also challenged Americans to "a higher moral vision," was speaking about his long-running, unusually public and sharp dispute with the pro-abortion rights Clinton. __ At President George W. Bush's last meeting with John Paul, at the Vatican in June 2004, he presented the pope with the Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor. The pontiff responded by reading a statement about his "grave concern" over events in Iraq, where the U.S.-led war had been going on for just over a year. After John Paul died in 2005, Bush became the first sitting U.S. president to attend a papal funeral. At his first audience with John Paul's successor, Pope Benedict XVI, at the Vatican in June 2007, Bush's overly casual behavior was noted by many Italians and Vatican watchers.

He addressed the pope as "Sir," rather than the customary "Your Holiness." and leaned far back in his chair with one leg thrown informally over another, instead of adopting the ramrod-straight physical posture more commonly seen in the pontiff's presence. Rome's ANSA agency flashed a "Gaffe Presidente" headline. Bush committed several firsts for Benedict's first U.S. tour as pope. The president and first lady Laura Bush went to Andrews Air Force Base to welcome the pontiff. Bush invited 13,500 people, the largest crowd of his presidency, to the White House for Benedict's arrival ceremony on the South Lawn. Bush also hosted a dinner honoring the pope, though Benedict did not attend. Benedict's White House visit came on his 81st birthday, and the crowd that had gathered on the South Lawn sang "Happy Birthday" twice to the German-born pope. He also was presented with a tiered birthday cake baked by the White House pastry chef. __ President Barack Obama and Pope Francis met for the first time in March 2014 at the Vatican. Afterward, the Vatican and the White House offered differing accounts of what the leaders discussed during their nearly hour-long meeting.

Obama stressed their common ground on fighting inequality and poverty while Vatican officials emphasized the importance to the Roman Catholic Church of "rights to religious freedom, life and conscientious objection." That point referred to a major disagreement over mandatory contraceptive coverage under Obama's health care law. Like Bush, Obama is personally welcoming the pope. Obama and first lady Michelle Obama decided to be at the foot of the airplane stairs at Andrews Air Force Base to greet Francis when he arrives in the U.S. for the first time. The White House has invited some 15,000 people to Francis' arrival ceremony on the South Lawn on Wednesday morning. Advertisement Transcript: JFK's Speech on His Religion : NPR Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy addresses the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, a group of Protestant ministers, on the issue of his religion, Sept. 12, 1960. Bettmann/CORBIS hide caption toggle caption Bettmann/CORBIS Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kennedy addresses the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, a group of Protestant ministers, on the issue of his religion, Sept. 12, 1960. Bettmann/CORBIS Watch Kennedy Deliver His Faith Speech On Sept.

12, 1960, presidential candidate John F. Kennedy gave a major speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association, a group of Protestant ministers, on the issue of his religion. At the time, many Protestants questioned whether Kennedy's Roman Catholic faith would allow him to make important national decisions as president independent of the church. Kennedy addressed those concerns before a skeptical audience of Protestant clergy. The following is a transcript of Kennedy's speech: Kennedy: Rev. Meza, Rev. Reck, I'm grateful for your generous invitation to speak my views. While the so-called religious issue is necessarily and properly the chief topic here tonight, I want to emphasize from the outset that we have far more critical issues to face in the 1960 election: the spread of Communist influence, until it now festers 90 miles off the coast of Florida; the humiliating treatment of our president and vice president by those who no longer respect our power; the hungry children I saw in West Virginia; the old people who cannot pay their doctor bills; the families forced to give up their farms; an America with too many slums, with too few schools, and too late to the moon and outer space.

Article continues after sponsorship These are the real issues which should decide this campaign. And they are not religious issues — for war and hunger and ignorance and despair know no religious barriers. But because I am a Catholic, and no Catholic has ever been elected president, the real issues in this campaign have been obscured — perhaps deliberately, in some quarters less responsible than this. So it is apparently necessary for me to state once again not what kind of church I believe in — for that should be important only to me — but what kind of America I believe in. I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute, where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote; where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference; and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the president who might appoint him or the people who might elect him.

I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish; where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source; where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials; and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all. For while this year it may be a Catholic against whom the finger of suspicion is pointed, in other years it has been, and may someday be again, a Jew— or a Quaker or a Unitarian or a Baptist. It was Virginia's harassment of Baptist preachers, for example, that helped lead to Jefferson's statute of religious freedom. Today I may be the victim, but tomorrow it may be you — until the whole fabric of our harmonious society is ripped at a time of great national peril.

Finally, I believe in an America where religious intolerance will someday end; where all men and all churches are treated as equal; where every man has the same right to attend or not attend the church of his choice; where there is no Catholic vote, no anti-Catholic vote, no bloc voting of any kind; and where Catholics, Protestants and Jews, at both the lay and pastoral level, will refrain from those attitudes of disdain and division which have so often marred their works in the past, and promote instead the American ideal of brotherhood. That is the kind of America in which I believe. And it represents the kind of presidency in which I believe — a great office that must neither be humbled by making it the instrument of any one religious group, nor tarnished by arbitrarily withholding its occupancy from the members of any one religious group. I believe in a president whose religious views are his own private affair, neither imposed by him upon the nation, or imposed by the nation upon him as a condition to holding that office. I would not look with favor upon a president working to subvert the First Amendment's guarantees of religious liberty. Nor would our system of checks and balances permit him to do so.

And neither do I look with favor upon those who would work to subvert Article VI of the Constitution by requiring a religious test — even by indirection — for it. If they disagree with that safeguard, they should be out openly working to repeal it. I want a chief executive whose public acts are responsible to all groups and obligated to none; who can attend any ceremony, service or dinner his office may appropriately require of him; and whose fulfillment of his presidential oath is not limited or conditioned by any religious oath, ritual or obligation. This is the kind of America I believe in, and this is the kind I fought for in the South Pacific, and the kind my brother died for in Europe.

No one suggested then that we may have a "divided loyalty," that we did "not believe in liberty," or that we belonged to a disloyal group that threatened the "freedoms for which our forefathers died." And in fact ,this is the kind of America for which our forefathers died, when they fled here to escape religious test oaths that denied office to members of less favored churches; when they fought for the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom; and when they fought at the shrine I visited today, the Alamo. For side by side with Bowie and Crockett died McCafferty and Bailey and Carey. But no one knows whether they were Catholic or not, for there was no religious test at the Alamo.

I ask you tonight to follow in that tradition, to judge me on the basis of my record of 14 years in Congress, on my declared stands against an ambassador to the Vatican, against unconstitutional aid to parochial schools, and against any boycott of the public schools (which I have attended myself)— instead of judging me on the basis of these pamphlets and publications we all have seen that carefully select quotations out of context from the statements of Catholic church leaders, usually in other countries, frequently in other centuries, and always omitting, of course, the statement of the American Bishops in 1948, which strongly endorsed church-state separation, and which more nearly reflects the views of almost every American Catholic. I do not consider these other quotations binding upon my public acts. Why should you? But let me say, with respect to other countries, that I am wholly opposed to the state being used by any religious group, Catholic or Protestant, to compel, prohibit, or persecute the free exercise of any other religion. And I hope that you and I condemn with equal fervor those nations which deny their presidency to Protestants, and those which deny it to Catholics.

And rather than cite the misdeeds of those who differ, I would cite the record of the Catholic Church in such nations as Ireland and France, and the independence of such statesmen as Adenauer and De Gaulle. But let me stress again that these are my views. For contrary to common newspaper usage, I am not the Catholic candidate for president. I am the Democratic Party's candidate for president, who happens also to be a Catholic. I do not speak for my church on public matters, and the church does not speak for me. Whatever issue may come before me as president — on birth control, divorce, censorship, gambling or any other subject — I will make my decision in accordance with these views, in accordance with what my conscience tells me to be the national interest, and without regard to outside religious pressures or dictates. And no power or threat of punishment could cause me to decide otherwise. But if the time should ever come — and I do not concede any conflict to be even remotely possible — when my office would require me to either violate my conscience or violate the national interest, then I would resign the office; and I hope any conscientious public servant would do the same.

But I do not intend to apologize for these views to my critics of either Catholic or Protestant faith, nor do I intend to disavow either my views or my church in order to win this election. If I should lose on the real issues, I shall return to my seat in the Senate, satisfied that I had tried my best and was fairly judged. But if this election is decided on the basis that 40 million Americans lost their chance of being president on the day they were baptized, then it is the whole nation that will be the loser — in the eyes of Catholics and non-Catholics around the world, in the eyes of history, and in the eyes of our own people. But if, on the other hand, I should win the election, then I shall devote every effort of mind and spirit to fulfilling the oath of the presidency — practically identical, I might add, to the oath I have taken for 14 years in the Congress. For without reservation, I can "solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of president of the United States, and will to the best of my ability preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution, so help me God. Transcript courtesy of the John F.

Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum.

Question: Who was the first Roman Catholic President of the US?
Answer: John F Kennedy