by Thomas Maier
Whether Jack Kennedy,well under way with his presidential plans, knew or approved of such an extraordinary promise by his father is not certain. To be sure, though, Jack’s political opponents, if they were aware of this letter’s existence, may very well have raised serious questions about the candidate’s independence of Rome. The quid pro quo inherent in Joe Kennedy’s letter was a bit of Latin that every American could understand. The letter clearly suggested that, in return for help from the Vatican in getting his boy elected, Joe Kennedy would help the church with “anything” it might want from his son’s administration. The senior Kennedy believed that Galeazzi, whose power increased within the Vatican as Pope Pius XII became sick and infirm, could be counted upon to persuade the church hierarchy to all but formally endorse his son’s candidacy. In the same letter,Kennedy alluded to a sum of money he had sent to Galeazzi as a gift. (“That remittance was yours to do with as you wish,” Joe instructed. “I am sure that you can find plenty of personal things to take care of.”) The message was unambiguous: Joe would be a benefactor to Galeazzi if the Pope’s right-hand man took care of his son’s political needs.
In October 1958, the death of Pope Pius XII, Galeazzi’s long-time patron, left a power vacuum soon filled by an affable but aging churchman, Cardinal Angelo Roncalli, who became Pope John XXIII. Many expected the new pontiff—a compromise candidate among the bishops who elected him—to serve as a quiet interim choice for a relatively short time. But Galeazzi’s power began to fade by early 1959, just when Joe Kennedy needed him to win support within the Vatican for his son’s presidential run. Galeazzi’s reputation suffered because of a bizarre scandal involving his half brother. When Pius XII succumbed to illness, Ricardo Galeazzi-Lisi, who served as the Vatican doctor, was caught selling deathbed accounts to the Italian tabloids, including a photo of the dead pontiff. The public uproar forced Galeazzi’s half brother to give up his Vatican post; eventually he was barred from the practice of medicine in Italy. Enrico’s stature was hurt by the scandal. In speaking with Cardinal Spellman, Kennedy indicated that he’d heard of Galeazzi’s diminished influence with the new Pope, who clearly didn’t trust the old inner circle surrounding Pius XII. As evidence, the senior Kennedy referred to a magazine profile about the changes in Rome.“After reading it, I just marveled at how stupid people can get in not realizing how great Pius XII was,” he told Spellman. The same article confirmed the rumors he’d heard: Galeazzi’s powers inside the Vatican were no longer what they were when Pius ruled. On Galeazzi’s behalf, as a favor to his old friend, Kennedy offered to speak privately with other cardinals in Rome, including Cardinal Tardini, the Vatican’s secretary of state.
But the Vatican’s shift of power was also felt in America. One place where Joe Kennedy felt an Irish Catholic running for president could expect to do well—Notre Dame University, once presided over by his old friend the Reverend John J. Cavanaugh—was now run by the Reverend Theodore Hesburgh, who expressed some consternation about Jack Kennedy’s ambitions. Joe vowed he’d “never forgive or forget” Hesburgh’s disloyalty, or that of other clergy.“I am more than ordinarily bitter about the whole subject,” he wrote to Galeazzi in March 1959. “I doubt very much if my relations with the Church and the hierarchy, with the exception of Cardinal Cushing, will ever be the same.”With more than a little self-pity, Joe conceded to his old friend: “I really do not care now whether Jack is elected President or not and I have told him so. I certainly will never ask the hierarchy for anything ever again—not that I have ever asked them for much.”
When Kennedy complained, Galeazzi insisted that none of the hierarchy’s opposition came from Spellman, whom he described as “the truest and most loyal and faithful friend we can shape in the best of our imagination.” Gradually, however, Joe Kennedy suspected otherwise. Spellman, at odds with the new, more liberal-minded Pope, set out on his own conservative course, particularly as it applied to American politics. To his friend in Rome, Joe Kennedy expressed his sense of being double-crossed. “I value your suggestions and advice, but I am really more than annoyed or upset— I am downright disgusted!” Joe Kennedy wrote, underlining “the weakness of some of the hierarchy for not speaking out, at least in some measure, in Jack’s defense.”Though Jack generally maintained his public composure in the national debate about religion, Joe Kennedy knew his son was privately annoyed about the matter.“I am satisfied that Jack is less affected than I am by it all,” he told Galeazzi,“but he is definitely upset.”
In August 1959, Joe Kennedy decided to address a fawning letter to Cardinal Tardini, a long-time friend of Galeazzi and Spellman but still in the Pope’s good graces, to ask that he pass along “my steadfast sentiments of loyal devotion and obedience” to the new Pope. Carefully, he invoked Galeazzi’s name high up in his missive, and then made his main pitch: a plea for the Vatican to direct the U.S. bishops “to avoid any discussion on the religious issue” at its upcoming conclave, and not to get in the way of his son’s chances for the presidency. Surely, he reasoned, the Holy See would recognize the importance of this turning point for Catholics in America.“It will not be easy, for many many years to come, to find another Catholic with so many exceptional qualifications for such an office, the fundamental Catholic sentiments of his whole family being one of the most important outstanding qualifications,” Joe Kennedy implored. “I thought it was my duty,Your Eminence, to call your attention to the above facts. The stake is too great for the Catholic Church in the U.S. . . . It was been 30 years since Al Smith, a Catholic, tried for the Presidency.”
But Pope John XXIII had a different agenda, one that favored a spiritual revolution rather than temporal matters of politics. He was determined to end the secretive, autocratic power plays of his predecessor and his cadre of minions. The Kennedys realized if the Catholic Church was going to help in their upcoming campaign, it would have to come from places other than Rome or the “powerhouse” in New York.
Heirs to Power. Joe Kennedy’s interest in running for president in 1940 was thwarted when Roosevelt announced for a third term and Kennedy’s private criticisms about Europe’s war were publicized. He would focus his energies on the political careers of his sons, starting with his eldest, Joe Junior. Kennedy Library
Father Coughlin. From the Shrine of the Little Flower outside of Detroit, Father Charles Coughlin’s radio broadcasts were popular throughout the United States, especially in regions with large Catholic populations. Initially a supporter of Roosevelt, the radio priest became a bitter critic of the New Deal, his comments sometimes laced with anti-Semitism. Joe Kennedy later arranged with church officials to help silence Coughlin. Library of Congress
Good Friends. Joe Kennedy set up the 1936 meeting between President Roosevelt and Cardinal Eugenio Pacelli, then Vatican Secretary of State who later became Pope Pius XII.FDR wanted the church to quiet Father Coughlin, while Pacelli convinced the U.S. to send an envoy to Rome, ending nearly a century of America’s refusal. This success cemented the friendship between Kennedy, little-known Boston bishop Francis Spellman (seen behind Kennedy), and Pacelli’s top aide, Count Enrico Galeazzi (left). Wide World Photo
Ireland’s Eamon DeValera. He bitterly opposed Ireland’s partition in the 1920s after its war for independence against Great Britain, and knew the importance of cultivating Irish- Americans like Kennedy. After Kennedy was rebuffed by his alma mater, Harvard, DeValera (right) granted him an honorary degree in Dublin. DeValera’s neutrality during World War II, including his condolences to the Germans following Hitler’s death,were sharply criticized— but not by the Kennedys. Wide World Photo
Princes of the Church. To Joe Kennedy’s delight, FDR sent his British ambassador in 1939 to the coronation of Cardinal Pacelli as the new Pope Pius XII. Inside the Vatican, the pontiff recalled his earlier visit to the Kennedy’s home in New York and offered young Ted his first holy communion. Kennedy Library
Billy Hartington. Kick’s romance with Billy—William Cavendish, the Ninth Marquis
of Hartington and future Duke of Devonshire—seemed star-crossed from the start and became increasingly complex as they wed.“I do feel extremely strongly about the religion of my children both from a personal and from a national point of view, otherwise I should never have asked Kick to make such sacrifices in agreeing to their being brought up Anglican,” he wrote Rose Kennedy, who opposed the marriage. Kennedy Library
Lismore Castle. For many Irish, Lismore Castle in County Waterford was a reminder of British control of their homeland, but for Kathleen, it was one of her in-laws’ country estates.“I know my little brothers will think ‘Kick has gone more British’ than ever,” she wrote home.“My persecuted Irish ancestors would turn over in their graves to hear talk of England in this way but I don’t care. . . (You’d better not let Grandpa Fitz see the above.)” Library of Congress
The Bride’s Brother. Aware of the family’s disagreement back home, Joe Jr. (seen here with Kick on her wedding day in 1944) defended his sister’s decision to marry Billy Hartington.“The power of silence is great,” he cabled to his parents. Before the war’s end, both Billy and Joe Jr.were killed in action. Kick died in a 1948 airplane crash. Wide World Photo
Patrick Kennedy’s Boston. Like many Irish fleeing the famine, Patrick Kennedy arrived in Boston (seen here in an 1850s aerial-balloon photo) but found America could be a harsh place for immigrants. He died of cholera nine years later, leaving behind a widow, Bridget, and four children. Boston Public Library
P. J. Kennedy. From a modest beginning, Kennedy started a successful tavern, displaying the chieftain-like qualities that allowed him to get elected as a Massachusetts State Senator. Kennedy Library
Saving Dunganstown. In the 1880s, James Kennedy was jailed and faced the loss of the family’s farm in Ireland when he objected to the high rents enforced by the British. His American cousin, P. J. Kennedy, sent money to help him and later came for a visit. Courtesy Kennedy Homestead
Giant’s Causeway. On a tour of Ireland, former Boston Mayor John F. Fitzgerald and his daughter, Rose, visited this famous site in Ulster. Kennedy Family Private Collection
The King of Boston Politics. After serving as a Congressman,“Honey Fitz” moved back to Boston and became mayor, beating his Brahmin challenger. To celebrate the city’s anniversary in 1907, Mayor Fitzgerald (middle of second row) posed with the city’s other political leaders, including P.J. Kennedy (third from left on top row). Kennedy Library
Love and Politics. When Honey Fitz invited P.J. Kennedy on a summer vacation in Maine, a romance blossomed between the mayor’s daughter, Rose, and Kennedy’s son, Joe. The couple eventually were married by Boston’s Cardinal William O’Connell. Kennedy Library
Rose and Joe. Though their marriage was marred by her husband’s infidelity, Rose found solace in both her family and religion. Joe Kennedy proved himself an active and engaged father to their nine children.“It made me feel that I had a partner in my enterprise,” Rose said. Kennedy Library
Fathers and Sons. Joe Kennedy, the hard-driving businessman who became a millionaire, encountered a more sophisticated form of bigotry than his father, P.J. (seen here with grandson, Joseph P. Kennedy Jr.) “I think that the Irish in me has not been completely assimilated, but all my ducks are swans,” he later confided. Kennedy Family Private Collection
Immigrants and Nativists. As the first great wave of immigrants, Irish Catholics faced religious bigotry and anti-immigrant sentiment. The fear that “Uncle Sam may be swallowed by foreigners”was expressed in this 1880s cartoon that caricatured both Irish and Asian immigrants. The Library of Congress
Papists and Know-Nothings. Catholics were often scorned in America’s predominantly white Anglo-Saxon Protestant culture of the 19th Century. This 1853 cartoon captures the bigotry of this era when the Know-Nothing Party, concerned about the influx of “papists,” garnered 25 percent of the U.S. presidential vote. The Library of Congress
Jack. Unlike his sisters who attended all-girls schools run by nuns, John F. Kennedy attended a Catholic school for only one year, an experience similar to his other brothers. With a white sash on his sleeve, Jack Kennedy smiled while celebrating his First Holy Communion. Kennedy Family Private Collection
The Kennedy Brood. Claiming Boston “was no place to bring up Catholic children,” Joe Kennedy moved his growing family to New York, probably more for business reasons than bigotry. By the late 1920s, the Kennedy clan included, from left to right, Jean, Bobby, Patricia, Eunice, Kathleen, Rosemary, Jack and Joe Jr. Brother Ted was born in 1932. Kennedy Library
Togetherness. Influenced by their heritage, the Kennedys defined their lives around family, the sense of belonging to an entity greater than themselves. “Long before it ever became a slogan,my family and I had togetherness,” said Joe Kennedy, seen here playing in the Atlantic with Jack and his other children. Kennedy Family Private Collection
Minorities. Though the Kennedys were keenly aware of religious and anti-Irish discrimination, they grew up with little contact with other minorities, particularly African-Americans. Negroes were encountered as porters and servants (as seen here in the 1930s with young Ted Kennedy) while Jews were often derided in private. Kennedy Family Private Collection
Al Smith. The New York Governor, seen here in a public appeal for tolerance on the religious issue, faced a great deal of anti-Catholicism during his unsuccessful 1928 run for president. Library of Congress
Franklin Delano Roosevelt. After turning down FDR’s offer to go to Ireland, Joe Kennedy urged his own appointment as Ambassador to the Court of St. James. As his White House relationship soured, Kennedy wrote in his diary:“I got the impression that deep down in his heart Roosevelt had a decidedly anti-Catholic feeling.” United Press International
Family Ties. Young Jack Kennedy returned from the South Pacific as a war hero and, urged by his father, ran for his grandfather’s old seat in Congress (seen here together). Kennedy relied heavily on his family’s money and political connections in Boston’s Irish- American community. When Jack won in 1946, Honey Fitz predicted he’d become the first Catholic elected U.S. President. Kennedy Library
Road to Dunganstown. During a trip in 1947 to see his sister Kick at Lismore Castle, Jack Kennedy decided to visit his distant Irish cousins at the family’s ancestral home in Dunganstown, County Wexford. A bit lost, he asked Robert Burrell (pictured) for directions to the Kennedy farm. Library of Congress
Mary Kennedy Ryan and Irish Kin. After tea and swapping stories, Congressman John F. Kennedy took this snapshot of his third cousin, Mary Kennedy Ryan, and her family and friends, outside their barn. Mary recalled as a child meeting P.J. Kennedy during his visit, and told JFK about other aspects of their shared history. Reflecting on his family’s success in America, Jack “thought about the cottage where my cousins lived, and I said to myself,‘What a contrast’.” Courtesy of Kennedy Homestead
“Archie Spell.” The Kennedy family’s private nickname for the powerful Cardinal of New York, whom they viewed as a close friend. The influence of Spellman (seen here marrying Edward and Joan Kennedy in 1958) extended from land deals to fighting international Communism and gaining favors with the Vatican. Wide World Photos
Grudge Match. Jack Kennedy’s upset victory in the 1952 U.S. Senate race against incumbent Henry Cabot Lodge drew upon his family’s old grudges. Decades earlier, Honey Fitz battled Lodge’s grandfather over the immigration issue and later lost an election to him for the Senate. The 1952 contest marked a watershed for Brahmin statewide political power in Massachusetts. Kennedy Library
Church and State. Religion and ethnicity were a potent part of the Kennedy appeal in Boston. Joe Kennedy influenced Boston’s Cardinal Cushing (right) through donations administered by his aide, Francis X. Morrissey (left), and with his clout at the Vatican.“Who the hell does he think he is?” Joe once asked in a fit.“If he wants that little red cardinal’s hat, he’d better shape up because I’ve got a hell of a lot more friends in Rome than he does.” Though wary of
the senior Kennedy, Cushing proved a genuine friend to the Kennedy family, particularly Jack. Kennedy Library
Houston Ministers. Hounded by anti-Catholic critics in 1960, John F.Kennedy decided to attend a gathering of Protestant ministers in Houston, where he flatly promised to keep his religion out of his political decision-making.“I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute,” JFK declared.“I do not speak for my church on public matters, and the church does not speak for me.” Paul Schutzer/Timepix