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Jackie Kennedy disliked Catholics, said they always felt persecuted

Sharp words for mother-in-law Rose Kennedy in new book

BRIAN O"CONNOR,

IrishCentral.com Contributing Writer

Published Saturday, September 10, 2011, 7:06 AM

Updated Thursday, September 15, 2011, 2:23 PM

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Jackie O and JFK lounge at home

Photo by Google Images

Jackie Kennedy was suspicious of Catholics believing many of them had persecution complexes.

She revealed her dislike in interviews she gave soon after her husband was assassinated. Those interviews are part of a new book, "Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations on Life with John F. Kennedy," by former Kennedy aide and historian Arthur M. Schlesinger Jr right after her husband was assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963.

In the book Jakie comments in one interview on the suspicious nature of her mother-in-law Rose Kennedy, a devout Catholic, and says she always demanded to know if someone was Catholic.

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"There seems to be about all these Irish — they always seem to have a sort of persecution thing about them, don't they?" she asks.

She also revealed a deep dislike for Martin Luther King, the civil rights leader after comments she says he made at JFK’s funeral.

In the interview, she called him "tricky" and a "phony" after she was told about sex tapes of King made by the FBI.

She claimed King had mocked her husband's funeral and Cardinal Richard Cushing, who celebrated Mass at the funeral.

"He made fun of Cardinal Cushing and said that he was drunk at it," she said. "And things about they almost dropped the coffin. I just can't see a picture of Martin Luther King without thinking, you know, that man's terrible."

In a poignant part of the book Sclesinger asked John John, 3 at the time, what happened to his father
"He's gone to heaven," the little boy said.

And what did the child remember about dad?

"I don't remember anything," the lad known as John-John replies.

Jackie also disliked another leading Irish American, Texas governor John Connolly, who was in the car and was wounded the day JFK was shot in Dallas.

She reveals she discussed her dislike of Connolly the night before the fatal day.

She told JFK she couldn't stand him and his "soft mouth."

"Jack was so sweet. He sort of rubbed my back ... and said, 'You mustn't say that, you mustn't say that,'" she recalled. "If you start to say or think that you hate someone, then the next day you'll act as if you hated him."

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42 Comments

15 - 42 | See all comments

Seanmor | May 13, 2013, 05:58 PM EDT

It does NOT surprise me in the lest to learn that Jackie had negative feelings toward Catholics, but these feelings seem pale when compared with those of some of my U.S.-born cousins toward Catholics who were raised in Ireland. In their 'enlightened' opinions, we native Irish Catholics are ridiculously old-fashioned and incredibly superstitious. However, during the last quarter century I have never noticed any negativity toward Catholics, Irish or otherwise, in any of my wife's relatives or friends, the vast majority of whom are her fellow Methodists.

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AbeGoldstein | Sep 15, 2011, 06:29 PM EDT

I think you people ought to go have a pint!

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lonejourney1 | Sep 15, 2011, 05:38 PM EDT

Jackie O hated the Irish because her husband JFK was Irish and ran around on her constantly. Her words and behavior were purely passive aggressive.

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mcwindisch | Sep 14, 2011, 10:20 PM EDT

Jackie O was a Catholic I believe . When she was at her N.J. horse farm she attended Mass at my parish. By the way it was built by a wealthy Irish man with the last name Brady. It is a replica of his church in Ireland. It has ancient statues from his childhood parish. St.Brigid's is very beautiful.Jackie received the Sacraments in the same place I do. I hope not to be judged by others so harshly and I will not judge her.My Lord is the only who can do that.

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Obsydian | Sep 14, 2011, 02:06 PM EDT

I believe a Quote from a great Christian applies here: "The problem with Christianity, is not that it has been tried & found wanting, BUT, that it has been found difficult & Not Tried At All" !! - GK. Chesterton. Ahh ! The Gauntlet has been Thrown ! Very well…… If any of U on this blog, wish to debate the veracity of the Holy Catholic Church & her Love for Jesus Christ our God & King, & Head of our Church (not his servant the Holy Father the Pope ! – as some of U think) - then by all means come & either debate us, or find out the TRUTH of what we actually DO believe & Teach – & not what some other deluded 10th-hand protestant says about us ! It is virtually impossible to defend Several Thousand years of Judeo-Christian Theology, Philosophy & History on a forum such as this. So why don't U all come & debate us in a forum, that would allow it, & give justice to it. goto: BIBLICAL EVIDENCE FOR CATHOLICISM: socrates58.blogspot.com lumenverum.org ourcatholicfaith.org Please Come & Debate us, - if U have the intellectual & intestinal fortitude ! goto: forums.catholic-convert.com/index.php BRING IT ON ! :-) To Quote Bishop Fulton Sheen: “There are not over a hundred people in the United States (World) who hate the Catholic Church. There are millions, however, who hate what they wrongly believe to be the Catholic Church, — which is of course, quite a different thing….”

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valeryod | Sep 14, 2011, 08:53 AM EDT

Having read and lisitened to Jackie O she is a disgrace, how dare she say this against the Irish, we build America and came with nothing since the Famine. She married an Irish Americana man if she had such a problem with Irish she was only after the power and the glory. No wonder her bad luck followed her family and wiped out her son in plane crash it all came back to destroy her even the assination. Her bad thoughts of the Irish followed her to her death.I am an Irishwoman born in Dublin highly educated and lived in USA Irish people came from nothing and worked hard every where in the world and deserve more respect that what JO says about us.Irish and be proud.

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montour | Sep 14, 2011, 05:55 AM EDT

spent a number oy years in a catholic seminary, the experience came close to my mental and physical ruin. though a few years this irish priest asked for forgiveness i gave him forgiveness though he will have to pay the price in the next qorls

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Woodman | Sep 13, 2011, 09:41 PM EDT

It's hard to put Jackie's statement about Rose in context. Not sure what she was really referring to. It seems to be specific to Rose Kennedy. Anyway, Jackie is kind of boring. When will those FBI Martin Luther King orgy sex tapes be released? Those might be worth a listen.

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francis11024 | Sep 13, 2011, 08:41 PM EDT

The headline for this article is a complete fabrication. Jackie Kennedy never said she disliked Catholics. She was commenting on her mother-in-law always wanting to know whether someone was Catholic or not. It may have gotten on her nerves, but it does not in any way suggest that she did not like Catholics. This is sloppy jounalism at its worst.

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dv727dv | Sep 13, 2011, 05:52 PM EDT

I'm not Irish, nor Catholic, but I've never viewed either of those traits as a negative. Whether I agreed or disagreed with John or Bobby Kennedy's politics or not, I've never regarded them as part of some "dislikable" class, the way Ms. Bouvier-Kennedy-Onassis apparently viewed things. (As an aside, I had no respect for Edward, but that had nothing to do with his last name or ethnicity.) Disliking someone because of a "soft mouth," or their ethnicity or religion, or because someone thought pallbearers almost dropped a coffin is not "Camelot" or "regal" or anything positive. At best it is typical snobbery from someone who was apparently smaller-minded than the PR/Press portrayed her to be. At worst, it is bigotry. Money and family names, be they birth or married names, can't guarantee class. The half-century fraud is finally over.

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turzovka | Sep 13, 2011, 09:37 AM EDT

What is wrong with feeling persecuted? Is it preferred that we Catholics feel superior? .... I have no strong feelings on Jackie Kennedy one way or another, but if you want to find faults in another person in order to dislike them, that is a rather easy task. To error is human, to forgive is divine.

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Kilsally | Sep 12, 2011, 05:02 PM EDT

eiramach says "My Irish ancestors feared Protestants because Protestants had persecuted them." oh dear crusades, inquisition, protestant reformation, 1641 massacre in ireland, st bartholomews massacre in france ....plenty of persecution `form` in the Roman church..sorry gearoid4 but Christ is not confined to a denomination and Christ not the Pope is the head of the church and he is in the midst whenever 2 or 3 are gathered in his name.

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maryosullivan | Sep 12, 2011, 12:39 PM EDT

Why is the opinion of this person worthy of anyone's time ? A socialite ,hell bent on snagging a rich husband or two, is hardly a repository of worthwhile ideas, especially sweeping views on the many thousand Irish American. Perhaps it's the people with whom SHE associated is where the suspicious Catholics are, also suspicious Baptists ,suspicious Buddhists and suspicious Protestants . It would be quite foolish to be otherwise when one is in the company of someone living by their wits

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warlocks | Sep 12, 2011, 02:00 AM EDT

Well in my opinion there are Catholics & there are Catholics in Name only I call myself a catholic because i was Born and Baptised a catholic from birth and i attened Catholic schools through High school and Maried a Catholic Girl and Raised my 5 Children Catholic they also attended Catholic Schools because I always believed their schools were the best for giving a good education. but for the last 25 years i find myself Doubting the Catholic Religion you see My Brother left the Jesuit Order After 36 years Because its becoming a Den of vipers. its corrupt from the Pope Down The Vatican has known about the Pedophile Priests for over a century its been a way of life with most. and the Vatican is no exception with priests having sex with eachother.he Left the Jesuit order and said he had a load taken off his back.and said the cover up is still going on . my Brother Peter left the jesuit order in 2008 he now works for a Medical Research Company

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Pittsburghkid | Sep 11, 2011, 08:01 PM EDT

Rose Kennedy was born in the late 19th century. As late as the 1840's Irish were mass murdered in Philadelphia. My family never went to the St Patrick Day Parade in Pittsburgh. My family lived in Pittsburgh from the 1840's to present. Growing up my dad and aunt had a strict code of conduct outside their home. When they walked down the street, they looked straight ahead. They never were permitted to look directly at people along the way. If something was said, they were told to ignore what was said. They went to church regularly. They survived some of the toughest streets of Pittsburgh.

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