Joshua Bennett
America has a long history of anti-Catholic sentiment, which has often resulted in the marginalization and discrimination of Catholics in the country. Since the colonial era, Catholics have been stereotyped and treated with suspicion, and this animosity has sometimes escalated into violence. While anti-Catholic sentiment has declined in recent decades, it has not disappeared, and Catholics continue to face stigmatization and prejudice in the United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Anti-Catholic sentiments in the US | Dates back to the colonial history of the US |
| --- Two types of anti-Catholic rhetoric | Theological heritage of the Protestant Reformation and European wars of religion; xenophobic, ethnocentric, nativist, and racist sentiments against Catholic immigrants |
| --- Attitudes towards immigrants | Catholics were the "wrong kind of immigrants": not White Anglo-Saxon Protestants |
| --- Catholics as "un-American" | Catholics associated with "illiberal" and "medieval" political and social doctrines, contradicting the dogmas of American democracy |
| --- Literature's portrayal of Catholicism | Catholicism as a threat to family values, gender boundaries, and sexual norms |
| --- Literature's portrayal of priests | Celibacy of priests as a sin, leading to child abuse, incest, rape, and murder |
| --- Literature's portrayal of nuns | Nuns as a threat to the sexual purity of American women |
| --- Political figures' views | Leading political, business, and religious figures lambasted Catholics as theological abominations and traitorous fifth columnists |
| --- Historical violence | Angry mob burned down a convent in Charlestown, Massachusetts, in 1834; Philadelphia riots in 1844 resulted in two Catholic churches burned down, over 100 people injured, and 20 killed |
| --- US presidents | John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic president; Joe Biden is also Catholic |
| --- US political candidates | Jeb Bush, Rick Santorum, and Bobby Jindal are Catholic |
| --- Public perception | In 2006, a Gallup poll found that 57% of Americans had a favorable view of Catholicism, while 30% had an unfavorable view |
| --- Religious freedom | The US Constitution guarantees the "free exercise" of religion, but the nation has often failed to live up to its pluralistic ideals |
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What You'll Learn
Anti-Catholic nativism in the 19th century
Anti-Catholic sentiment in the United States dates back to its colonial history. During the 19th century, anti-Catholic nativism was prevalent, particularly in response to a surge of Irish Catholic immigration. This period saw the rise of nativist movements and political parties, such as the "Know Nothings" and the "American Party," which campaigned against Catholic influence and immigration.
Nativist outbursts occurred in the Northeast from the 1830s to the 1850s, coinciding with increasing waves of Catholic immigrants. In 1834, an angry mob burned down a convent in Charlestown, Massachusetts, due to a false rumour about a nun being imprisoned. In 1844, the Philadelphia Nativist Riots broke out due to fears that Catholics wanted to prevent Bible reading in schools. These riots resulted in the destruction of Catholic churches, numerous injuries, and the deaths of 20 people.
In 1836, Samuel Morse ran for Mayor of New York City on a nativist ticket, receiving 1,496 votes. Nativist societies, such as the Order of United Americans and the Order of the Star-Spangled Banner, emerged during this period, promoting Protestant and nativist ideals. The term "Know Nothings" was applied to members of these societies because they claimed to "know nothing" about their secret societies.
The nativist movement went public in 1854 with the formation of the "American Party," which was vehemently opposed to the immigration of Irish Catholics. They advocated for longer wait times between immigration and naturalization and promoted a nationalist agenda. Former President Millard Fillmore ran on the American Party ticket in 1856. The party's platform reflected xenophobic and anti-Catholic sentiments, with a particular focus on the loyalty of Catholics to the Pope and their perceived rejection of republicanism.
The Know Nothings, as a political party, held significant influence in shaping 19th-century American politics. They supported the deportation of foreign beggars and criminals, a lengthy naturalization period for immigrants, mandatory Bible reading in schools, and the removal of Catholics from public office. Their policies and ideologies contributed to the legacy of nativism, impacting subsequent waves of immigration and shaping policies well into the 20th century.
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Anti-Catholic literature in the 19th century
The 19th century saw a significant increase in anti-Catholic literature, with various books, magazines, and newspapers spreading anti-Catholic sentiments. This literature often portrayed the Catholic Church as a threat to modernity and secularization, and it stoked fears of rising monastic vocations. One of the most popular genres of anti-Catholic literature featured alleged revelations by former priests about the inner workings of the Church, presenting it as the enemy of true faith and a force interested only in accumulating power.
Nineteenth-century anti-Catholic literature also perpetuated specific stereotypes and caricatures of Catholic figures, such as lustful priests, cruel abbesses, and sadistic inquisitors. These stereotypes were prevalent in Gothic fiction, with works like "The Italian" by Ann Radcliffe, "The Monk" by Matthew Lewis, "Melmoth the Wanderer" by Charles Maturin, and "The Pit and the Pendulum" by Edgar Allan Poe. Rebecca Reed's "Six Months in a Convent", a supposed autobiographical account, further fuelled anti-Catholic sentiment with its tale of alleged captivity by an Ursuline order near Boston.
The anti-Catholic literature of the time also targeted gender roles and norms, arguing that Catholic women were trapped in pointless and unproductive religious servitude. It depicted monks and celibacy as counter-masculine, presenting alternative forms of expressing personhood as unnatural and forced.
In the United States, anti-Catholic literature was influenced by nativism, with a particular focus on opposing the influx of Catholic immigrants from Ireland and Germany. This literature blamed these immigrants for spreading violence and drunkenness and contributed to the formation of the Know-Nothing Party in the 1850s, which opposed Catholic influence in America.
The 19th century also witnessed the emergence of Catholic periodical literature, with publications like the "Dublin Review" (1836) and "The Rambler" (1848) providing a platform for Catholic thought and views. However, the development of the press during this period also amplified anti-Catholic voices, with newspapers and magazines reaching a wider audience and influencing public opinion against the Catholic Church.
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Religious violence in the 1800s
Religious violence against Catholics in the United States has deep roots in the country's colonial history. During the 19th century, this violence was often fuelled by the view that Catholicism was a threat to the "cult of domesticity", which encompassed family values, gender boundaries, and sexual norms. Literature of the time portrayed priests' celibacy as a sin and a violation of the law of nature, arguing that it would lead to child abuse, incest, rape, and murder. This sentiment was particularly strong in the Northeast, where most Americans at the time were Protestant and treated Protestantism as the unofficial religion of the republic.
In the 1830s and 1840s, anti-Catholic violence broke out across the Northeast. In 1834, an angry mob burned down a convent in Charlestown, Massachusetts, due to a false rumour that a nun was imprisoned there. This incident was likely influenced by Lyman Beecher's speaking tour, during which he promoted his book, "Plea for the West", which described a Catholic plot to take over the U.S. and impose Catholic rule. In 1835, after Beecher's tour passed through Charlestown, a mob set fire to the Ursuline convent and school.
In 1844, Philadelphia witnessed a three-day riot, with two Catholic churches burned down, over 100 people injured, and 20 killed. The riot was sparked by fears that Catholics wanted to prevent Bible reading in public schools. During this period, "native" Americans also engaged in pitched gun battles with mostly Irish Catholics, requiring the declaration of martial law to restore order. These incidents represent some of the worst episodes of religious violence in the nation's history.
The surge in immigration from Europe during the 19th century further intensified anti-Catholic sentiment. Immigrants who were Catholic were viewed as outsiders and undemocratic, and this prejudice was compounded by harsh anti-Irish sentiment. The nativist movement gained traction in the mid-1850s with the emergence of the Know-Nothing Party, which promoted anti-Catholic and xenophobic rhetoric. The American Protective Association of the 1890s continued this legacy, denouncing various politicians as Catholic-controlled and claiming credit for Republican electoral victories.
The historical treatment of Catholics in America reminds us of the fragility of religious freedom in the nation. While the Constitution guarantees the "free exercise" of religion, the United States has often struggled to uphold this ideal.
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Catholic immigrants and xenophobia
The history of the United States reveals a fraught relationship with Catholic immigrants, who have often been the target of xenophobic sentiments and discrimination. Since its colonial history, the US has struggled to live up to its pluralistic ideals, with religious minorities, including Catholics, facing significant challenges in practising their faith freely.
The first Protestant colonists brought with them a legacy of anti-Catholic sentiment from Europe, shaped by the Protestant Reformation and the religious wars of the 16th to 18th centuries. This animosity persisted and evolved over time, with two distinct types of anti-Catholic rhetoric emerging. The first drew on biblical Anti-Christ figures and dominated anti-Catholic thought until the late 17th century. The second type was rooted in xenophobic, ethnocentric, nativist, and racist sentiments, targeting waves of Catholic immigrants from countries like Ireland, Italy, Poland, Germany, Austria, and Mexico.
During the 18th and 19th centuries, when most Americans were Protestant, there were instances of violent hostility towards Catholic immigrants. For example, in 1834, a mob burned down a convent in Charlestown, Massachusetts, fuelled by a false rumour about a nun's imprisonment. In 1844, Philadelphia witnessed a three-day riot sparked by fears that Catholics wanted to ban Bible reading in schools, resulting in two Catholic churches being destroyed, over 100 injuries, and 20 deaths.
The literature of the time also contributed to anti-Catholic sentiment, portraying Catholicism as a threat to family values, gender norms, and sexual morality. Priests' celibacy was singled out as unnatural and a potential catalyst for sexual crimes. These stereotypes and fears were deeply ingrained in American society, with leading figures perpetuating negative views of Catholics as theological abominations and traitorous.
Catholic immigrants were often seen as the ""wrong kind of immigrants", deviating from the White Anglo-Saxon Protestant ideal. Their faith was associated with "illiberal" and "medieval" doctrines, supposedly at odds with American democracy and Protestant civil religion. This dynamic was further complicated by suspicions of Catholics' allegiance to foreign powers, given their religious ties to the Old World.
While discrimination against Catholic immigrants has diminished over time, particularly after John F. Kennedy became the first Catholic president, historians emphasise the depth and tenacity of anti-Catholic sentiment in American history. The legacy of xenophobia and religious intolerance towards Catholic immigrants has left an indelible mark on the nation's past.
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Anti-Catholic sentiment in the 2000s
Anti-Catholic sentiment in the United States dates back to the colonial history of the country. Protestant settlers from Europe brought anti-Catholic attitudes to the Thirteen Colonies of British North America during the British colonization of the Americas. This was influenced by the theological heritage of the Protestant Reformation and the European wars of religion, as well as xenophobic, ethnocentric, nativist, and racist sentiments towards Catholic immigrants.
While anti-Catholic sentiment in the U.S. declined in the 1960s, particularly after John F. Kennedy became the first Catholic U.S. president, traces of it persisted in the media and popular culture in the 2000s. In March 2000, the Catholic League criticized Slate magazine and journalist Jack Shafer for an article that the League believed took "delight in justifying anti-Catholicism.". In 2000, members of Historic Adventist splinter groups also paid to have anti-Catholic billboards placed in various cities on the West Coast, including along Interstate 5 from Portland to Medford, Oregon, and in Albuquerque, New Mexico. These billboards called the pope the Antichrist, and mainstream Seventh-day Adventists denounced the advertisements.
In addition to these incidents, anti-Catholic hate crimes against persons and property have continued to occur in the 2000s. The summer of 2020 saw a wave of anti-Catholic acts, including the vandalization of churches and cathedrals, and the destruction and decapitation of statues in states like Illinois and Florida. These acts have been tied to political movements, notably the QAnon movement, and other far-right groups.
While there have been some negative sentiments and incidents, it is important to note that there has also been a new appreciation for Catholicism in the United States. For example, in the Midwest, Jacques Marquette, a Catholic, was celebrated as a founding father of the region. In St. Louis and New Orleans, there was a stronger focus on their French and Catholic colonial heritage. Additionally, in 2006, a Gallup poll found that 57% of Americans had a favorable view of the Catholic faith, while those who disapproved cited issues such as the church's doctrines and the priest sex abuse scandal.
Overall, while there have been instances of anti-Catholic sentiment and hate crimes in the 2000s in the United States, there has also been a coexisting appreciation for Catholicism, and a majority of Americans polled expressed a favorable view of the Catholic faith during this time period.
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Frequently asked questions
Anti-Catholic sentiment in the US dates back to the colonial history of the country. Protestant settlers from Europe brought anti-Catholic attitudes to the Thirteen Colonies of British North America during the British colonization of the Americas. This was influenced by the theological heritage of the Protestant Reformation and the European wars of religion (16th–18th century). Since then, Catholics have been discriminated against, harassed, and marginalized in the US.
Anti-Catholic sentiment has led to violence and religious persecution. In 1834, an angry mob burned down a convent in Charlestown, Massachusetts, due to a false rumor that a nun was imprisoned there. In 1844, a three-day riot broke out in Philadelphia due to fears that Catholics wanted to prevent Bible reading in public schools, resulting in two Catholic churches being burned down, over 100 people injured, and 20 killed. Literature has also portrayed Catholicism as a threat to family values, gender boundaries, and sexual norms, specifically targeting the celibacy of priests.
Anti-Catholic sentiment has declined in recent decades, especially after John F. Kennedy became the first Catholic president in the 1960s. However, some historians argue that anti-Catholic discrimination has been swept under the rug rather than truly eradicated. While open discrimination may have decreased, Catholics continue to face stigma and scrutiny, as seen in the case of Judge Amy Coney Barrett, who was questioned about her Catholic faith during her Supreme Court nomination process.
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