Santorum's Speech: Capturing the Kennedy Mystique, Correcting the Kennedy Mistake

By Deacon Keith Fournier
9/14/2010
Catholic Online (www.catholic.org)

Catholic Online will be following the midterm Congressional elections in the United States and the coming 2012 Presidential race very closely

September 12, 2010 marked the fiftieth anniversary of one of the defining political speeches of the last 100 years. It was the address given by Senator John F. Kennedy to the Houston Ministerial alliance. In that speech he unleashed a horrid mistake. He laid out an approach to the role of religious faith which resulted in "privatizing" the truths informed by faith. Senator Rick Santorum exposed the Kennedy mistake and offered another model of Catholic political participation.

Former Senator Rick Santorum.

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WASHINGTON, DC (Catholic Online) - September 12, 2010 marked the fiftieth anniversary of one of the defining political speeches of the last 100 years. It was the address given by Senator John F. Kennedy to the Houston Ministerial alliance. In that speech he unleashed a horrid mistake. He laid out an approach to the role of religious faith which resulted in "privatizing" the truths informed by faith.

He failed to acknowledge the existence of a Natural Law which can be known by all men and women through the exercise of reason and which is meant to govern our life together in Society. All just positive laws must comport with that Natural Law. In the wake of his catastrophic mistake too many Catholics in public life, like Esau of the Old Testament, sold their birthrights for a bowl of porridge and helped to construct the current culture of death.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith issued a clear directive instruction in 2002 entitled a "Doctrinal Note on some questions regarding the Participation of Catholics in Political Life". It called upon Catholics to be "morally coherent" in the exercise of their citizenship. Sadly, too many have not been.

Many Catholics who hold public office in the United States have hidden behind the "Kennedy Mistake". Former Senator Rick Santorum is different. In anticipation of this anniversary, he gave an extraordinary speech in Houston on Thursday, September 9, 2010 entitled "Charge to Revive the Role of Faith in the Public Square". He exposed the Kennedy Mistake and offered another model for Catholic political participation. We received permission to reprint it in full. (Go Here) Though it is somewhat longer than most articles published by Catholic Online, I encourage our readers to take the time to read it in its entirety. The upcoming elections in the United States of America are extremely important and so is this speech.

We are living under what Pope Benedict XVI called a "Dictatorship of Relativism" in the West. The culture stumbles, drunken on the false notion of freedom as giving some people a "right" to kill the innocent, divorced from norms to guide the exercise of human choice and govern our behavior. When there is a wholesale effort to deny the existence of anything objectively true which can be known by all and form the basis of our common life, then there is no real freedom. Instead, we teeter on the brink of anarchy.

Senator Santorum's speech is a breath of fresh air. In an age of political sound bites and jingoism, he offers intelligent and impassioned reflection. This is a statesman. I identified with his introductory remarks, "Three pictures hung in the home of my devoutly Catholic immigrant grandparents when I was a boy and I remember them well -- Jesus, Pope Paul VI and John F. Kennedy. The president was a source of great pride and a symbol to Catholics that all barriers had finally been broken."

I grew up in Dorchester, Massachusetts and we had the same three pictures in our home. I vividly remember the fateful day when President Kennedy was assassinated. I was traumatized. I kept a scrapbook in which I collected newspaper articles, and photos concerning it. My mother kept it for me. She also gave me a card made up marking the day of his funeral with a prayer for the repose of his soul. She wrapped it in "saran wrap" and I have it to this day. There certainly was, and to some degree still is, a "Kennedy Mystique".

It is clear that our Nations first Catholic President made a tragic error in the Houston speech. That error unleashed a torrent of tragic results. In Senator Santorum's words, "Fifty years ago this Sunday JFK delivered a speech to the Greater Houston Ministerial Association to dispel suspicions about the role the papacy might play in the government of this country under his administration. Let's make no mistake about it -- Kennedy was addressing a real issue at the time. Prejudice against Catholics threatened to cost him the election. But on that day, Kennedy chose not just to dispel fear, he chose to expel faith."

John F. Kennedy also laid the groundwork for the advance of what the venerable John Paul II rightly called the "Culture of Death." He gave cover to countless Catholic politicians to be morally incoherent. Senator Rick Santorum's speech in Houston is the desperately needed corrective that has been long overdue. Having come to know this gifted and good man, I am convinced he is recapturing the Kennedy Mystique while correcting the Kennedy Mistake.

I have made my concerns regarding both major political parties in this Nation clear. On the predominant human rights issue of our age the leadership of the Democratic Party ...

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1 - 10 of 14 Comments

Cyril
2 years ago
Thanks for your comments John, I think that imposing the positions of the Church about several social issues, abortion, marriage are examples of attempting to influence a pluralistic society to abide by Christian values. I am against abortion but it is presently allowed and until the law is changed I believe that Christians who are against abortion should continue to pray that women will not turn to abortion as a solution to their pregnancy. I believe that the first ammendment reference to separation of Church and State means that the State should not make one religion the State religion as it often was before our Constitution. The Church for many years was the main religion for most countries in Europe, after Constantine made it the State religion in the Roman Empire. For over 1500 years the Church did not allow the practice of any other religion until the Reformation in Germany. Remember that in many of the colonies in America before the Constitution there were religions which dominate that particular colony. Maryland is a good example, when the English got control of the government they outlawed the practice of the Catholic religion in public.
John
2 years ago
Cyril:
I have yet to read any comments online anywhere to suggest that we impose a Catholic theocracy. I don't believe we even have anything like Sharia law available to be imposed. I think those who complain about religion being involved demonstrate their own stubborn poor understanding of people of faith at large.

If you believe the Constitution requires Church and State to be separate, I think you understand the Constitution rather poorly. The only mention of Church and State that I've ever heard of is the First Amendment, which as Sen Santorum comments, aimed to keep the State from dictating which Church a citizen must attend. I understand that Jefferson's letter that mentioned the matter referred more to reasons why the People should be attending Church services, but not insisting upon their particular Church dictating law.

If you think we intend to impose some vintage of theocracy, I would ask what sort of theocracy we CAN impose? Catholic faith does not, to my knowledge, include anything like Islamic Sharia law. Canon law does not address matters important to the State.
Cyril
2 years ago
Dear Jennifer, I am aware this is a conservative site but I believe that one has to read all sides of a problem in order to make an intelligent judgement. I read several conservative catholics sites besides this site. I also read Catholic News Agency which seems to be the source of many of the articles that appear on this site. Unfortunately, I was on a break at work and went online to see what stories were circulating on the many sites I read. As I said in my comment I intend to read the speech by the senator and also the article about his presentation. Becasue I disagree with the contents of an article I am not "maligning" the individual writer or the speaker referred to in the article.Thanks for taking the time to look at my comment and I will be responding with more detail as soon as I can. I am also frustrated by the conservative republican catholics who seem to hate anyone who does not agree with them. I commented on a speech which Archbishop Chaput made recently which was making many of the same points that senator Santorum was apparently making. I believe that the US Constitution makes it clear that church and state should not be "in bed together." One of the reasons that religions have been able to flourish in this country is the idea that one religion should not have the power of the state behind them. One has to remember the history of church and state ruling hand in hand. Since the time of Constantine the Catholic Church has been a major player in Europe and the results have not always been positive for the general population. This is not only the Catholic Church but many other religions have been the dominate religion and the results has usually been very negative. Theocracy is not the best type of government, look at the Muslim countries in the middle east right now. Jesus died on the Cross to bring all mankind to salvation.
Jennifer
2 years ago
Response to Cyril:
The one who seems to be maligning others here is you, albeit subtly. This is a site that I, a conservative Catholic, like to come to for validation of my beliefs in our Church and culture. You obviously do not read the articles here for the same reason as I, which is fine. However, when you spew off without reading an article at length, and do not argue the merits of your positions but whine and complain about what you perceive as name calling, then you confirm for me all of the frustrations that I have with current liberals today - both in and out of the Church.
Nino Baldino
2 years ago
coming home from work I was quickly told by my wife of the shooting of President Kennedy.in 15 min.I received a call from a college official that my talk was cancelled! it seems the faculty and students believed a anti-communist conservative had done the shooting and thus my life was in danger if I were to appear to the political science club..every 15 min.I received the same call..finally when it was revealed that a pro-castro communist had killed the president I received word it was OK to deliver my talk it was for Dec.4th..and so I did to some 900 students..later I received a letter from the college student dean asking me to write a column for the paper!!!! What would have happened in this nation if this Oswald character had escaped to mexico as planned the Lord only knows.Goldwater headquarters also had to close down due to threats,and Major General Ted.Walker (whom Oswald took a shot at in April of that year) was also threatened..Officer Tippet is the real hero of the day,maybe thats why he is so hated by the left wing ruling class.he gave his life for truth,justice and the American way..may we never forget this brave policeman!
D PHARISEE
2 years ago
When the announcement was made that President Kennedy died, everything stopped in the entire nation of my dear Philippines and then for a moment, one can hear sobs of people all over. When he got elected as the first Catholic president, we knelt and thank God, what pride, joy, peace and love . Suddenly, we were all in one accord in prayer of support for his presidency.

Over the years, there was silence among Catholics about the man and now I know and I thank you for reprinting that speech.

We need a vicar of Christ on earth most especially at a time as this.
Cyril
2 years ago
I have not had time to read the full article yet. Santourum in his speech seems to be following up on the comments of Archbishop Chaput recently. President Kennedy is an easy target for these extreme conservative catholics to attack 50 years after he made the speech. He as they know is dead so he cannot defend himself from these comments. I hope that you conservative get what I believe will happen if you continue to go to the extreme to support the republican conservative, who have done very little for the catholics who have supported them in an effort to overturn the abortion ruling by the Supreme Court. One thing that I have noticed about the loyal supporters of this news site, they cannot make a negative comment about a comment made by anyone who disagrees withs the conservative point of view without name calling and suggesting that the person leave the Church. I will read the full article when I have time and respond to it.
Nino Baldino
2 years ago
Here we go again with the 'mistakes 'bit..ohum..this was the president who lamented on his 'mistake' in abandoning the Cuban freedom fighters in the bay of pigs attack by not giving them the much needed air cover! Then he gave the dictator some $50million dollars in ransom to buy back these same 1500 fighters thus makiing sure the reds had complete control in Cuba.No he told the truth in saying that in no way will he be controlled or influenced by any religious doctrine of the Catholic Church..and he never was! He exra-marital affairs attest to that fact..we have NEVER had a practicing Catholic as president yet,, in my opinion!
Jennifer
2 years ago
I just finished reading Senator Santorum's speach and I am truly impressed with his knowledge and understanding of both our Catholic faith and U.S. political history! He is obviously well educated in both, and has integrated the two without compromising either. I wish more of our Catholic politicians would learn from him and follow his example! I also hope our Catholic electorate educates themselves - and reading this speach would be a good first step!
Scott A.
2 years ago
Wonderful article! Thanks for boldly yet lovingly proclaiming our role and responsibilities as faithful Catholics.

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