In 1960, fears over papal influence. In 2026, a president attacks a pope - BERITAJA

WASHINGTON — It was difficult to miss President Trump’s very nationalist spat pinch Pope Leo XIV this week.

The divided was the first clip successful modern representation that an American president has truthful openly badmouthed a sitting pontiff, or, for that matter, distributed an image depicting himself arsenic Jesus Christ. Critics cried “blasphemy!” moreover arsenic supporters continued to guidelines down the man whose presidency, immoderate argue, was God sent.

Students of American history will callback an earlier incident that pitted papal and statesmanlike authority against each other. The concern: that a president would align himself excessively intimately to the church, aliases moreover return orders from the pope.

That worry seeped into the 1960 statesmanlike run of John F. Kennedy, whose eventual triumph would make him the first Catholic president.

Back then, Kennedy was perpetually fending disconnected accusations from Protestant ecclesiastic types who were wary that his information meant the pontiff, John XXIII, was already packing his bags for a move into the White House.

President John F. Kennedy meets pinch Pope Paul VI astatine the Vatican successful July 1963, 1 period aft Paul succeeded John XXIII arsenic pontiff.

(Bettmann Archive / Getty Images)

The rumor was truthful pronounced that 150 clergymen and laypeople formed Citizens for Religious Freedom, which successful a pamphlet warned, “It is inconceivable to america that a Roman Catholic President would not beryllium nether utmost unit by the level of his religion to accede to its policies and demands.”

One peculiarly large sound among the ministers was the Rev. Norman Vincent Peale, a celebrated and influential pastor and author. Peale was particularly disturbed by Kennedy’s prospects.

“Our American civilization is astatine stake,” he said astatine a gathering of the ministers. “I don’t opportunity it won’t survive, but it won’t beryllium what it was.”

The group asked Kennedy to “drop by Houston” to make clear his views connected religion and government. He agreed, making a televised reside astatine the Rice Hotel, wherever he famously spelled retired his patient opinions connected the separation of religion and state.

“I americium not the Catholic campaigner for president,” Kennedy told the group. “I americium the Democratic Party’s nominee for president who happens to beryllium Catholic.”

Time mag reflected connected the reside immoderate years later, concluding that the reside had gone truthful good for Kennedy “that galore felt the melodramatic infinitesimal was an important portion of his victory.”

Since then, modern presidents person occasionally recovered themselves astatine likelihood pinch the Vatican. Typically Republican presidents would perceive from the pope about overseas wars, while Democratic presidents were derided complete abortion policies.

But specified disagreements tended to beryllium handled pinch the decorous connection of diplomacy.

President George W. Bush presents Pope John Paul II pinch the Presidential Medal of Freedom successful Rome connected June 4 , 2004. The pope reminded Bush of the Vatican’s guidance to the warfare successful Iraq. Bush praised him arsenic a “devoted servant of God.”

(Eric Vandeville/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images)

Then came Trump, who is now being accused of openly mocking the Catholic religion and the 1st Amendment. He called Leo anemic connected crime and overseas policy, among different things. A self-described nondenominational Christian who says his favourite book is the Bible, Trump’s hasn’t shied from bashing the pontiff, nor has he hesitated to blur the statement separating religion and state.

Where Kennedy based on for an absolute separation, Trump has precocious a exemplary of belief resurgence, promising “pews will beryllium fuller, younger and much religious than they person been successful years.” Through initiatives including the “America Prays” programme launched past year, the White House has sought to bring “bring backmost God” by inviting millions of Americans to dream sessions. The webpage for the programme focuses features only Christian Scripture.

“From the earliest days of the republic, religion successful God has been the eventual root of the nation’s strength,” Trump said astatine a National Prayer Breakfast successful February.

President Trump, then-Vice President Mike Pence and religion leaders opportunity a dream during the signing of a proclamation successful the Oval Office connected Sept. 1, 2017. .

(Alex Wong / Getty Images)

In the United States, the Catholic Church historically has “loved the 1st Amendment” and its guarantee of belief liberty and, arsenic a result, mostly kept immoderate region from government, according to Tom Reese, a Jesuit leader and belief commentator. After its failures attempting to power monarchs and politicians successful Europe, the Catholic Church “didn’t want the authorities interfering pinch them and knew that it wasn’t their correct to interfere pinch the government,” Reese said.

Kennedy loved the 1st Amendment too. He put it supra his ain belief beliefs, and said arsenic overmuch connected his measurement to the White House.

“I would not look pinch favour upon a president moving to subvert the 1st Amendment’s guarantees of belief liberty,” he said. “Nor would our strategy of checks and balances licence him to do so.”

Pope Leo XIV meets pinch members of the organization successful Algiers astatine the Basilica of Our Lady of Africa connected April 13, 2026.

(Vatican Pool via Getty Images)