George Washington, Defender of Catholics
First published in Beliefnet.com I’ve written in the past about how some of America’s founders not only discriminated against Catholics but actively stoked anti-Catholic sentiment to advance the American cause. Yet somehow, Catholics ended up being gradually included in the American religious compact. As Pope Benedict XI said, now, “Respect for freedom of religion is deeply ingrained in the American consciousness.” What happened? I would argue that the key figure was George Washington. As the Revolutionary War began, many persisted…