With the arrival of the 1960's, five events are of high importance. First, John F. Kennedy became the first Catholic President of the United States in 1960 which "due to his popularity, charisma and personal integrity reassured non-Catholic Americans that Catholicism was legitimate and that Catholics could be trusted" (Emerson, 256).
Second, Pope John XXIII who had been elected as Pope in 1958 became one of the most popular and beloved Catholic Pope in modern history, due to his attempts to bring Catholics and non-Catholics together in friendship and appreciation. Third, John XXIII also convened the Second Vatican Council or Vatican II between 1962 and 1965 which "brought about substantial and long-lasting changes and innovations in the Catholic church." Accordingly, this council "solved some of the lingering problems of being a Catholic in America and made it possible for Catholics to feel less different in the eyes of their contemporaries and non-Catholic neighbors" (Marino, 256). And fourth, Pope Paul VI, the successor to John XXIII, issued "Humanae Vitae" which contained a strong reaffirmation on the ban on artificial contraception, a subject which continues to create much controversy and debate in today's America.
In today's modern world, the majority of people in the United States see Catholics as being members of a consensus religion, or that which serves as one of the dominant, culturally...
However, this has not always been the case, for Catholics in America have faced many examples of prejudice and discrimination. For example, in Colonial America, Catholicism was illegal in some colonies and in others, Catholics could not vote nor hold public office.
Clearly, most of the prejudice and discrimination against American Catholics originated with a small number of Protestants from Europe who did not recognize Catholics as belonging to the true Christian community of faith and worship. In modern America, some of these prejudices are still with us, especially in relation to the church's stance on abortion, birth control and the role of women in the Catholic Church. Thus, Catholics in America, beginning some three hundred and fifty years ago, have played major roles in the shaping of American democracy and have contributed in a positive way to the on-going debates surrounding religion in today's America.
Bibliography
Ellis, J.T. Catholics in Colonial America. New York: Helicon Press, 1965.
Emerson, Charles W. The Story of Catholics in America. Rome: Paulist Press, 1978.
Marino, Anthony. The Catholics in America. New York: Vantage Press, 1960.
Trisco, Robert F. Catholics in America, 1776 to 1976. Boston: Committee of the National
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