House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) delivered a bold and historically grounded address at the 2026 National Catholic Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., calling the phrase “separation of church and state” one of the most misunderstood expressions in American public life — and urging the nation to return to its spiritual foundations as it approaches a landmark anniversary.
The event, held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center on March 19, 2026, drew faith leaders, lawmakers, and Catholic faithful from across the country. A message from President Donald Trump was also read at the breakfast, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to defending religious freedom for every American.
The Phrase That Isn’t in the Constitution
Johnson, a former constitutional lawyer and professor, wasted no time addressing what he called a widespread historical misunderstanding.
“The separation of church and state is often repeated but very rarely understood,” Johnson told the audience. He noted that the phrase does not appear anywhere in the United States Constitution — a fact that surprises many Americans. Instead, it originates from a private letter Thomas Jefferson wrote in 1802 to the Danbury Baptist Association, a group of Christians who were concerned about the government interfering with their religious practice.
“Jefferson clearly did not mean that wall to keep religion from influencing our government and public life,” Johnson said. “To the contrary, the Founders wanted to protect the church and the religious practice of citizens from an encroaching state — not the other way around.”
In other words, Johnson argued, the original intent of the phrase was to shield faith from government — not to scrub faith from the public square.
Faith Is in the DNA of the Nation
Drawing on his deep background in constitutional law, Johnson made a sweeping case that the United States has never been designed to operate without moral and religious conviction at its core.
“It is from the very birth of our nation that America has always been sustained by prayer and been reliant upon our foundation of religion and morality,” he said. “It’s in the DNA of our nation and who we are.”
He pushed back firmly against critics who have questioned his practice of openly invoking faith in his role as Speaker. “I’m often criticized for invoking my faith. That’s not some innovative thing,” Johnson said. “There are some very angry voices out there trying to convince us breathlessly that there must be a rigid separation between church and state.”
He pointed to the Founders themselves — men who opened congressional sessions with prayer, issued national days of fasting and thanksgiving, and consistently tied the survival of the republic to the moral character of its citizens — as evidence that faith in public life is not a modern political imposition but a foundational American tradition.
“We Are in a Spiritual Battle”
Johnson did not shy away from describing the current cultural moment in stark terms. He told the audience plainly that preserving the American republic in this generation requires more than political strategy — it requires prayer.
“We do live in the greatest nation in the history of the world. It’s not even close,” he said. “It’s the freest, most successful, most powerful, most benevolent nation that has ever been — and it is because we are built on those foundations. And in order for us to keep this, you and I know it’s a spiritual battle.”
He closed his remarks with a direct call to action, urging Americans to return to public prayer with the same seriousness the Founders brought to it. “We need to rededicate ourselves to the cause of our Founders and turn toward prayer again, just as they did,” he said, describing prayer as the force that “strengthens and fortifies this grand experiment in self-governance and liberty and repairs the foundations that undergird the republic.”
Other Notable Voices at the Breakfast
Johnson was not the only prominent voice at the event. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La.), who is Catholic, shared a personal reflection on faith, recounting the moment in 2017 when he was shot and critically wounded at a congressional baseball practice.
“I asked God for some pretty heavy things,” Scalise told the crowd. “Prayer is such a powerful thing, because it’s a direct conversation with God — and God is listening.”
Actor Jonathan Roumie, widely recognized for his portrayal of Jesus Christ in the hit series The Chosen, was also present at the breakfast, mingling with guests and receiving recognition alongside the founders of the Hallow prayer app.
Critics Respond
Not everyone received Johnson’s remarks warmly. The Freedom From Religion Foundation issued a statement accusing the Speaker of misrepresenting the constitutional principle of church-state separation and called his participation in the prayer breakfast an inappropriate use of his office. Critics also noted the irony of delivering such a message at a Catholic event, given the historical discrimination Catholics themselves faced in early America.
However, Johnson and his supporters maintain that his position is not about establishing any religion — it is about defending the right of faith to have a legitimate voice in the life of the nation, which they argue is precisely what the Constitution guarantees.
A Nation at a Crossroads
Johnson’s address comes at a significant moment. The United States is approaching the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and national conversations about the role of faith, morality, and government are intensifying on every front.
For Johnson, the answer to that conversation is not complicated. It is the same answer the Founders gave — and the same one he says the nation needs to hear again today.
“In order for us to keep this,” he told the crowd, “you and I know it’s a spiritual battle.”