The Peril of Rendering to Caesar What Belongs to God, by Patti Armstrong

When John F. Kennedy became president in 1960, it seemed that Catholics had broken through the anti-Catholic barriers in this country that had been in place since the American Revolution and colonial times. But putting a Catholic in the White House turned out to be a bad thing for the Church. It began to redefine what being Catholic is supposed to mean in the greater culture.

At the time, many Americans had charged that Kennedy should not be president because of his religion. They feared Catholic teaching would affect his decisions. It should have. But Kennedy insisted their concern was groundless. He paved the way for future Catholic politicians to betray their faith in the name of politics.  ….