January 20: A Catholic President

Welcome to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Today is January 20th, and our story is A Catholic President. The whole of the nation's capital was covered in snow when, on the afternoon of January 20, 1961, John F. Kennedy stood on the east front of the U.S. Capitol building and was sworn in as the 35th President of the United States. The 43-year-old Massachusetts native was the youngest man, and only Catholic so far, to be elected to the nation's highest office. He was also a war hero, civil rights proponent, staunch anti-communist, proponent of supply-side economics, and champion of the poor, as well as, unfortunately, a philandering cad.

He served three terms in the U.S. House of Representatives and one in the U.S. Senate before overcoming significant anti-Catholic prejudice to win the White House. He overcame that prejudice, in part, by promising, I am not the Catholic candidate for president. I am the Democratic Party candidate for president, who also happens to be Catholic.

I do not speak for the church on public matters, and the church does not speak for me. In his inaugural address, Kennedy noted that the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe, the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God. He continued, Since this country was founded, each generation of Americans has been summoned to give testimony to its national loyalty.

Now, the trumpet summons us again, not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need, not as a call to battle, though embattled we are, but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, a struggle against the common enemies of man, tyranny, poverty, disease, and war itself.

Kennedy led that struggle for less than three years. An assassin's bullet ended his presidency and his life on November 22, 1963. Kennedy's presidency reminds us that faith and public service are not incompatible, but must be balanced with discernment and courage. His call to uphold rights that come from God, not the state, reflects a deeper understanding of liberty, justice, and responsibility. Even as he faced prejudice and political pressure, he remained committed to principles that transcended partisanship.

Reflect on a responsibility you carry, personal, professional, or civic. How can you integrate moral or ethical principles in the decisions you make this week? Thank you for listening to the American Catholic Daily Reader podcast. Join us tomorrow, January 21st, for another story of faith and courage in America.