Washington, USA - As he ran for the White House, John F. Kennedy assured skeptical Americans that he was "not the Catholic candidate for president" but rather a "candidate for president who happens also to be Catholic." In 1961, the year he took office, Catholics accounted for 18.8 percent of Congress.
This week, when the 111th Congress was sworn in, about 30 percent of its membership was Catholic, according to a recent analysis by Congressional Quarterly and the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life. The shift reflects greater religious diversity across the United States and on Capitol Hill.
"We see much more acceptance of religious groups that have in the past ... suffered some prejudice," said David Masci, a senior research fellow at the Pew Forum and co-author of the report.
Catholics, at just less than 24 percent of the U.S. population, have gained more congressional seats since 1961 than any other religious affiliation, the report found. At 1.7 percent of the population each, Jews and Mormons make up 8.4 percent and 2.6 percent of Congress, respectively.
When Kennedy was elected, Protestants accounted for most of Congress -- 74.1 percent. Although their numbers have declined, they still form a majority at 54.7 percent, slightly higher than their 51.3 percent of the population.
Since the 87th Congress was seated in 1961, many major Protestant denominations have slipped in numbers, including Methodists, at 10.7 percent now and 18.2 percent then; Presbyterians, at 8.1 percent compared with 13.7 percent; and Episcopalians, who dropped to 7.1 percent from 12.4 percent. But when compared with the population, these three denominations still are overrepresented on Capitol Hill.
Yet other Protestant denominations are underrepresented: Baptists make up 17.2 percent of Americans but 12.4 percent of the House and Senate. Pentecostalists are 4.4 percent of the population but 0.4 percent of congressional lawmakers.
Slightly underrepresented are Buddhists and Muslims: Two of each were first elected to the 110th Congress and return next term.
Although the religious makeup of the new Congress generally reflects that of the nation, the report found that members of Congress are much more likely than the overall public to claim a religious affiliation.
Only five members of the incoming Congress -- about 1 percent -- declined to specify their beliefs for the survey. But it was unclear whether the lawmakers were atheist or agnostic or simply didn't want to answer the question.
Overall, studies have shown consistently that Americans are a people of faith. A Pew Forum report last summer found that 92 percent of Americans say they believe in God or a universal spirit.
"I think there's an incentive, certainly, for a politician to have some sort of a religious affiliation," Masci said. Americans, he said, have "a desire to have people in office who, to at least to some degree, reflect your own belief."