Once president, Roosevelt appeared to ignore Coughlin's contribution to his successful bid for the presidency. Roosevelt was distrustful of Coughlin from the beginning and only wanted his endorsement to help get elected. Coughlin used his radio program- The Hour of Power -to persuade his followers to vote for Roosevelt in the 1932 presidential elections. Coughlin believed that only Roosevelt could pull the United States out of the Great Depression and protect the country from the perceived communist threat. Having become a US citizen while in Detroit, Coughlin was an early and enthusiastic supporter of Franklin D. His message drew upon his own fear and that of others that a communist influence was spreading in the United States. He had gained the reputation of a spokesperson for the “common man.” In 1930, he launched a crusade against communism. By the time of the 1929 stock market crash, Coughlin had a large, loyal audience. However, he soon moved on to broadcasting religious services with political overtones. His broadcasts originally taught catechism classes for children. In October 1926, Coughlin broadcast his first radio address. This church-the Shrine of the Little Flower-served as the center of Coughlin's operations for the next forty years. After a chance meeting with Michael Gallagher, the bishop of the diocese of Detroit, he was given the opportunity to establish a new parish in Royal Oak, Michigan. He then became a diocesan priest in the diocese of Detroit.įrom 1916 to 1923, Coughlin was on the faculty at Assumption College in Sandwich (now Windsor), Ontario, Canada. He stated, “We have lived to see the day that modern Shylocks have grown fat and wealthy, praised and deified, because they have perpetuated the ancient crime of usury under the modern racket of statesmanship.” Coughlin left the Basilian Order in 1918. In a 1930 broadcast, Coughlin attributed the current economic problems to those who profited from usury. Such views blended with antisemitism in Coughlin's radio broadcasts throughout his career. Many Basilians regarded the practice of usury as a main source of the ills that afflicted modern society. Among other issues, they called for the Church to restore the prohibition against usury. They believed that the Church should return to its theological roots. Founded in France in the early nineteenth century, the Basilians studied medieval church doctrine in the context of fierce opposition to modern economic and social developments. His views were also shaped by the Basilian Order to which he belonged. Coughlin's Background and ViewsĬoughlin's views as a priest were influenced by late eighteenth century Catholic teachings emphasizing conservative clerical activism. He was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1916. Coughlin graduated from the University of Toronto in 1911. Charles Coughlin (1891–1979) was born on October 25, 1891, in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
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