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Catholics and Politics

Charles Coughlin to NUSJ Member

Title: Letter to a Member of the NUSJ

Contributor: USCCB/NCWC Collection, Office of the General Secretary, Box 16, Folder 1

Date: April, 1935

Father Coughlin's original sixteen-point plan for the NUSJ involved lobbying the federal government for economic and social reform. In this letter, written five months after his letter to Earle Jewell, Coughlin's tone and language have altered, a result of his changing attitude toward the Roosevelt administration. The goal for the NUSJ now, he says, is to "drive the money-changers out of the temple." The money-changers phrase quickly became a major motif in Coughlin's speeches and publications.

 

Questions:

As you read the document, reflect on the following questions:

  • How does Coughlin characterize the role of religion in the NUSJ?
  • What is the "immediate job" of the NUSJ member?
  • What is the "present objective" of the NUSJ and how does it differ from the organization's goals as defined in the Jewell letter?