Billy Graham & John F. Kennedy: Can You Vote for a Catholic?

Billy Graham meeting with John F. Kennedy

In the 1960 election Billy Graham felt pressure to make a statement about John F. Kennedy’s Catholicism, drawing a striking resemblance—though a completely different outcome—from today’s controversy with Mormon presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Earlier this month Billy Graham met with Romney and offered to “do all I can to help you.” The incident sparked questions about Billy Graham becoming too political, especially with his organization removing references to Mormonism as a cult and Franklin Graham writing an article saying it’s OK for evangelicals to vote for a Mormon.

What About Catholics?
Billy Graham was asked to write just such an article in 1960, telling evangelical Christians it was OK to vote for a Catholic. At the time there was a considerable divide between Catholics and Protestants and many feared a Catholic president would be beholden to the pope. Billy Graham refused.

Though repeatedly asked, Graham continually declined, as he explained in his autobiography, Just As I Am: “I was afraid some might interpret anything I said on the subject as an implied political endorsement.”

He felt conflicted though: “I was still in something of a bind, though. While I did not want to appear to endorse Kennedy, neither did I want to seem prejudiced against him on religious grounds.” To further complicate matters, Graham had a personal friendship with Republican candidate Richard Nixon and would be voting for him: “Had I been foolish enough to declare myself, it would have been for Nixon.”

There was also an incident with Norman Vincent Peale and a group of religious leaders meeting in Washington. The group issued a statement expressing reservations about a Catholic candidate. The group was labeled anti-Catholic, and while Graham didn’t attend the meetings, he had urged Peale to attend and later apologized for any trouble he had caused Peale.

“I Want to Help Nixon”
As conflicted as Graham may have been, he clearly wanted to endorse Nixon. In early October he approached Time magazine publisher Henry Luce: “I want to help Nixon without blatantly endorsing him,” Graham said. “Any ideas?”

Graham agreed to write an article about Nixon as a man without talking about politics. Luce loved the article and planned to run it, but Graham, urged on by his wife Ruth’s disapproval, had second thoughts. Luce pulled the article and Graham wrote a second piece on why every Christian should vote.

On Supporting a Catholic President
After Kennedy won the election, Billy Graham did make a statement (after Kennedy Shanghaied him into a press conference):

“I don’t think that Mr. Kennedy’s being a Catholic should be held against him by any Protestant. They should judge him on his ability and his character. We should trust and support our new President.”

In his autobiography, Just As I Am, he elaborated on the statement, writing: “If I had said that before the election, I am convinced I would have been in trouble. But the statement seemed justified now.”

While pundits question whether Billy Graham is being too political in 2012, it seems the same questions were being asked in 1960. Then, as today, Graham seemed to unofficially endorse a specific candidate. But in 1960 that candidate was Richard Nixon who would go on to win in 1968 and be the source of one of Billy Graham’s greatest regrets.