Grace Thompson
Despite Catholicism being one of the largest religious groups in the United States, there have only been two Catholic presidents to date: John F. Kennedy and Joe Biden. Kennedy was the first Catholic president, and his religion was a significant issue in the 1960 presidential campaign due to perceived anti-Catholic prejudice. Biden is a lifelong Catholic, and his faith is an important part of his identity. Before Biden, several vice-presidential candidates were Catholic, and their faith was often seen as a balance to the typically Protestant presidential candidates.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of practicing Catholics who have been president | 2 |
| Names of the practicing Catholic presidents | John F. Kennedy, Joe Biden |
| Number of vice presidents who practiced Catholicism | 1 |
| Names of the practicing Catholic vice presidents | Joe Biden |
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What You'll Learn
John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic president
During the campaign, Kennedy had to reassure voters that he would not let his faith impact his decision-making, underlining his commitment to the separation of church and state. In a televised address, Kennedy stated:
> "I am a believing and practicing Catholic, married to another believing and practicing Catholic. And being an American Catholic at this particular moment in history has three particular implications for my own point of view as a candidate for the presidency. The first two follow directly from the two great commandments set forth in the Scriptures: our obligations to love God with all our hearts, souls, and minds and to love our neighbors as ourselves…. There’s a third facet of being an American Catholic that I take very seriously. We’ve always been a minority in this country, and have sometimes suffered persecution. To a larger extent than Catholics elsewhere, we have supported and relied upon the constitutional principle of the separation of church and state to guarantee our right to worship and our liberty of conscience."
Despite these concerns, Kennedy went on to win the 1960 election, becoming the first Catholic president and opening the door for more Catholics to win national office. However, it was not until Biden's victory in 2020 that another Catholic assumed the presidency.
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Joe Biden is the second Catholic president
Biden is not the first Catholic vice-presidential candidate, but he is the first Catholic vice president. Before Biden, there were several Catholic running mates, including William Miller, Barry Goldwater's running mate in 1964, and Ed Muskie, Hubert Humphrey's running mate in 1968.
The religious affiliation of presidents has changed dramatically over the course of US history. While almost all presidents have been Christians, with many from the Episcopal Church, Biden is only the second Catholic president. This is despite Catholicism being one of the largest religious groups in the nation, with about one-in-five US adults identifying as Catholic.
Biden's predecessor, John F. Kennedy, was the first Catholic president. Kennedy's Catholicism was a significant issue in the 1960 presidential campaign due to perceived anti-Catholic prejudice, and he had to reassure voters that his faith would not influence his decision-making. Despite this, Kennedy emphasised the importance of the separation of church and state, helping to make religious affiliation less of an issue in American politics.
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Catholicism is one of the nation's largest religious groups
Catholicism is one of the largest religious groups in the United States, with about one-in-five U.S. adults identifying as Catholic. Despite this, only two U.S. presidents have been Catholic: John F. Kennedy and Joe Biden. Kennedy was the first Catholic president, and his religion was a significant issue in the 1960 election campaign, with voters concerned about potential anti-Catholic prejudice. Kennedy had to reassure voters that his decision-making would not be influenced by his faith, emphasising the separation of church and state.
Since Kennedy, several Catholics have run for president, including John Kerry, the only other Catholic besides Biden to be a presidential nominee on a major party ticket. Joe Biden, who became the second Catholic president when he was sworn in on January 20, 2021, was the first Catholic vice president.
The religious affiliation of U.S. presidents has historically been predominantly Christian, with Episcopalians and Presbyterians being the most prevalent. The pattern of religious adherence among presidents does not reflect modern membership numbers, with Episcopalians, for example, being overrepresented due to their historical significance in colonial churches.
While Catholicism is one of the nation's largest religious groups, it has been suggested that American Catholics have faced persecution and prejudice, which may explain the small number of Catholic presidents.
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Catholic presidents are rare despite Catholics' prevalence in the US
Despite Catholicism being one of the largest religious groups in the US, with about one-in-five US adults identifying as Catholic, there have only been two Catholic presidents to date: John F. Kennedy and Joe Biden.
Kennedy was the first Catholic president. During his 1960 campaign, his Catholicism was a significant issue, with voters worried about potential anti-Catholic prejudice and the influence of his faith on his decision-making. Kennedy had to reassure voters of his commitment to the separation of church and state.
Following Kennedy, several Catholics have run for president, including John Kerry, the only other Catholic besides Kennedy and Biden to have been a presidential nominee on a major-party ticket. Other notable Catholic candidates include William Miller, Barry Goldwater's running mate in 1964, and Ed Muskie, Hubert Humphrey's running mate in 1968.
The rarity of Catholic presidents may be due to American voters tending to favor familiarity and voting for candidates whose religious beliefs align with their own. As one source notes, "when a different religious candidate shows up, Americans tend to vote with familiarity." This may explain why mainline Protestants, particularly Episcopalians and Presbyterians, have been overrepresented among presidents, despite their declining membership numbers in recent decades.
In summary, while Catholicism is prevalent in the US, Catholic presidents are rare, with only two out of 46 presidents identifying as such. This may be due to historical anti-Catholic prejudice and voters' tendency to favor candidates with familiar religious beliefs.
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Catholic presidential candidates since Kennedy
John F. Kennedy was the first Catholic president of the United States, and his religion was a significant issue during the 1960 election campaign. Kennedy had to address fears that his Catholic faith would influence his decision-making as president. He reassured voters that he would respect the separation of church and state and that Catholic officials would not dictate public policy to him. Despite this, it was believed that Kennedy lost some heavily Protestant states due to his Catholicism.
Since Kennedy, Joe Biden is the only Catholic to have been elected president. Biden's Catholic faith was also a notable aspect of his campaign, and he was often photographed attending mass at his local church. Biden is a lifelong Catholic, and his religious beliefs are known to influence his political views.
Several other Catholics have run for president since Kennedy, with John Kerry being the only other Catholic, along with Biden, to secure a major party nomination. Kerry was the presidential nominee in 2004 but lost to George W. Bush. In the 2016 election, there were six Catholic candidates for the Republican nomination, and two Catholic candidates for the Republican nomination in 2012, Paul Ryan and Jeb Bush, a convert to Catholicism. Other Catholics who have run for president include Marco Rubio, Rick Santorum, Newt Gingrich, and Rudy Giuliani.
Catholics have historically run for high office more often as Democrats. Al Smith was the first Catholic to run for president on a major party ticket in 1928, and he faced significant religious tensions during his campaign. Since Kennedy's election, it was thought that more Catholics would win national office, but Biden became the next Catholic president sixty years later.
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Frequently asked questions
There have been two Catholic presidents of the United States: John F. Kennedy and Joe Biden.
Joe Biden was the first Catholic vice president. Other Catholics who ran for vice president include William Miller, Barry Goldwater's 1964 running mate, and Ed Muskie, Hubert Humphrey's 1968 running mate.
Although about one-fifth of US adults are Catholic, Catholicism was historically viewed with prejudice. John F. Kennedy, the first Catholic president, had to reassure voters that he would not let his faith impact his decision-making.
