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Catholics and Politics

Mrs. Joseph G. Caskey to Charles Coughlin

Title: Mrs. Joseph G. Caskey to Charles Coughlin

Contributor: American Catholic History Research Center and University Archives

Date: October 12, 1936

Father Coughlin's reply to the "Right Reverend Spokesman of the New Deal" did not meet the universal approval of his listeners. This letter from a Mrs. Joseph Caskey of Knoxville, Tennessee, advises Coughlin to return to his formal style of radio talks and confine himself to "religious matters" and "preaching" rather than dabbling in "political affairs." She claims that Coughlin has damaged the reputation of the Church in the South, and that he could do more good as a preacher than as a politician.

 

Questions:

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

  • How, in Caskey's view, did Coughlin's entrance into politics affect views of Catholics in the South?
  • How did Caskey feel about Coughlin's political views?