Father Charles Edward Coughlin was a priest at Royal Oak, Michigan’s National Shrine of Little Flower Church. He was a Roman Catholic.
Father Coughlin was a controversial figure and he was probably one of the first Church men to use radio for preaching. He had a huge audience and it is reported that more than 40 million people used to listen to his radio broadcasts.
Father Coughlin was initially a staunch supporter of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s policies and his New Deal proposals. But over the years he transformed into one of the fiercest critics of Roosevelt. During this time Coughlin used his popularity and his programs on radio to launch an anti-Semitic campaign. He even went on to justify the cruel policies of Hitler and his Nazi regime. His weekly religious sermons turned to political broadcasts and they were considered a Fascist agenda being applied to the American nation.
Father Coughlin was born on October 25, 1891 in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He was born to an Irish Catholic couple. He was inducted to priesthood in 1916 and moved to Detroit in 1923. In 1931 he established how own radio network with the help of donations.
In 1932’s Presidential campaign he made popular the phrase “Roosevelt or ruin” and also threatened the Congress that if it fails to support Roosevelt’s financial program then it might give way to a new revolution that will make French Revolution look silly. His support for Roosevelt ended in 1934 when he created the National Union for Social Justice. His talks targeted Roosevelt, capitalists and Jewish conspirators. He also went onto blame the Jewish bankers for creating the Great Depression.
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