During the 1960 presidential campaign, much of the southern population did not approve of kennedy due to his religious beliefs. why was religion an issue in this election? and what move to kennedy make to appease the people in the south?

Being a catholic was certainly the greatest hurdle that JF Kennedy faced in his bid to lead the USA. religion was such an issue because the populace feared that a catholic president would be an instrument of Vatican, and thus a  danger to democracy. JF Kennedy faced the issue down by postulating the importance of separation of the church and the state, and pointing out that he spoke not for the church, and neither did the church for him.