In an interview yesterday on Laura Ingraham’s conservative radio talk show, Santorum said, “I wish I had that particular line back.”

Santorum acknowledged that there were some “important” and “good things” that Kennedy said in his speech, which the then-presidential candidate gave in 1960 confronting skepticism over his Catholic faith. But Santorum said, “There are things that triggered the privatization of faith and I think that’s a bad thing.”

Santorum had said he objected to the line in Kennedy’s speech that read, “I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute.” Santorum said he wanted more of a role for people of faith in public life than Kennedy had outlined.

Santorum originally made the comments at the College of Saint Mary Magdalen in New Hampshire in October. He was asked about them on ABC’s “This Week” on Sunday.