Rare video JFK 1960 Speech at the Houston Ministers

As the Democratic Presidential candidate, JFK speaks before the House of Ministers. In this election, there has been grave concern that the Pope would be influencing American politics if JFK, a Catholic, were elected. Kennedy very matter-of-factly responds to this concern. He answers that the presidential race has more critical issues to address other than religion:

-Communism
-Hungry children
-the poor
-American farmers
-Slums
-Race to the moon

He emphatically states that he believes in absolute separation of church and state. That no religious body should seek to impose its will over the US. He never mentions the Pope directly, but does state that he is Catholic and eludes to the issue of the Pope seeking his will over the political direction of the US.

The speech is very typical of other JFK speeches I have heard. His tone of voice is somewhat monotone. His accent is heavy, but he speaks slowly enough that he is easily understood. He makes good eye contact with the audience, although he appears to be reading his speech. It is always somewhat difficult to determine the intensity of the speech...there are no hand gestures, no deliberate voice inflections, and no emphatic pauses.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2Jr03ADQmk