Letters to Giuseppe Doria Pamphili

Benjamin Franklin to Giuseppe Doria Pamphili, July 28, 1783

Benjamin Franklin advises Giuseppe Doria Pamphili that the American Congress should not intervene in ecclesiastical matters, as each state independently manages religious affairs without federal involvement. He suggests the Roman Curia coordinate directly with U.S. ministers to appoint clergy for American Catholics, respecting constitutional boundaries and the political separation resulting from the American Revolution.