{"id":286145,"date":"2018-04-27T06:24:07","date_gmt":"2018-04-27T10:24:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/admin.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/?p=286145"},"modified":"2018-04-27T18:41:40","modified_gmt":"2018-04-27T22:41:40","slug":"catholic-chaplain-for-house-of-representatives-asked-to-resign","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/deaconsbench\/2018\/04\/catholic-chaplain-for-house-of-representatives-asked-to-resign\/","title":{"rendered":"Catholic chaplain for House of Representatives asked to resign\u2014UPDATED"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

From The Hill:\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

House Chaplain Patrick Conroy\u2019s sudden resignation has sparked a furor on Capitol Hill, with sources in both parties saying he was pushed out by Speaker\u00a0Paul Ryan<\/a><\/span>\u00a0(R-Wis.).<\/p>\n

Conroy\u2019s own resignation announcement stated that it was done at Ryan\u2019s request.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>\u201cAs you have requested, I hereby offer my resignation as the 60th Chaplain of the United States House of Representatives,\u201d the April 15 letter to Ryan, obtained by The Hill, states.<\/p>\n

Through his office, Conroy, who has served as chaplain since 2011, declined to comment on Thursday. His resignation is effective May 24.<\/p>\n

Four different sources \u2014 two from each party \u2014 say Conroy was told that he must retire or that he would be dismissed.<\/p>\n

The message from Ryan was delivered by his chief of staff, Jonathan Burks.<\/p>\n

The issue has riled House Minority Leader\u00a0Nancy Pelosi<\/a><\/span>\u00a0(D-Calif.), who broached the episode during the Democrats\u2019 whip meeting in the Capitol Thursday morning.<\/p>\n

A bipartisan group of lawmakers are planning to send a letter to Ryan requesting\u00a0additional information regarding Conroy\u2019s dismissal; the group is currently circulating the letter among colleagues to collect more signatures.<\/p>\n

The thinking among Democrats is that Ryan pushed Conroy out \u201cbecause Republicans thought he was aligned with Democrats,\u201d according to a senior Democratic aide familiar with the discussion.<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
Read more.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
The New York Times<\/strong><\/a> has this detail:<\/div>\n
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Father Conroy\u2019s resignation is all the more contentious in Catholic circles because Mr. Ryan is a Catholic conservative, whereas Father Conroy is a Jesuit, a branch that is viewed by some as more liberal.<\/p>\n

Asked whether differences in politics were a factor in his ouster, Father Conroy said: \u201cI do not want to politicize this. I have thoughts about it, but I am not contributing to that.\u201d<\/p>\n

But, he said, Capitol Hill is an inherently political place. \u201cThere are Catholics who are Republicans and there are Catholics who are Democrats,\u201d he said. \u201cI don\u2019t know if there is a religious divide; there certainly is a political one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Though Father Conroy said he did not know whether politics were behind his departure, he pointed to a prayer he had given on the House floor in November, when Congress was debating tax overhaul legislation.<\/p>\n

\u201cMay all members be mindful that the institutions and structures of our great nation guarantee the opportunities that have allowed some to achieve great success, while others continue to struggle,\u201d he prayed. \u201cMay their efforts these days guarantee that there are not winners and losers under new tax laws, but benefits balanced and shared by all Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n

About a week later, Father Conroy said, he heard from the speaker\u2019s office. \u201cA staffer came down and said, We are upset with this prayer; you are getting too political,\u201d he said. \u201cIt suggests to me that there are members who have talked to him about being upset with that prayer.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Continue reading.\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

UPDATE:<\/strong> This may shed light on the resignation. From The New York Times:\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

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In a closed-door meeting with Republican lawmakers Friday morning, the speaker insisted that neither politics nor the prayer had anything to do with the firing, according to Representative Peter T. King, Republican of New York, who was in attendance and questioned the speaker.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr. King said in an interview that Mr. Ryan told the assembled lawmakers that he had removed Father Conroy because of complaints about his availability and the quality of his pastoral care. Mr. King said he had never heard such complaints, and told the speaker that he needed to give a more public explanation.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

And there was this, late today, from NPR:\u00a0<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Democrat Gerry Connolly of Virginia told NPR, \u201cWhy wouldn\u2019t you counsel him to do better if there was a problem? Why wouldn\u2019t you give him to the end of this Congress which is the end of this year so that he can gracefully exit?\u201d<\/p>\n

The murkiness has led to allegations from Democrats, which Ryan has further denied, that the decision involved in part a November prayer on the House floor in which Conroy appeared to criticize the GOP\u2019s tax cut legislation and included the line: \u201cMay their efforts these days guarantee that there are not winners and losers under new tax laws, but benefits balanced and shared by all Americans.\u201d<\/p>\n

There are also reports that some lawmakers were dissatisfied with his service, but no one has stepped forward to criticize Conroy. Pelosi disputed that members on her side of the aisle ever voiced opposition to the chaplain. \u201cDuring Father Conroy\u2019s entire service, I\u2019ve never received a complaint from our members about him pastoring to the needs of the House,\u201d she said Friday.<\/p>\n

Congress adjourned Friday for a weeklong recess. There is no firm timetable on finding Conroy\u2019s replacement. He will remain in the job until late May and continues to offer the opening prayer each day when the House goes into session. \u201cAs the members of this people\u2019s House deliberate these days, give them the wisdom and magnanimity to lay aside what might divide us as a people to forge a secure future for our country,\u201d he prayed Friday morning.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

From The Hill:\u00a0 House Chaplain Patrick Conroy\u2019s sudden resignation has sparked a furor on Capitol Hill, with sources in both parties saying he was pushed out by Speaker\u00a0Paul Ryan\u00a0(R-Wis.). Conroy\u2019s own resignation announcement stated that it was done at Ryan\u2019s request. \u201cAs you have requested, I hereby offer my resignation as the 60th Chaplain of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":18551,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[261,931,11190],"class_list":["post-286145","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-politics","tag-congress","tag-jesuits","tag-politics"],"yoast_head":"\nCatholic chaplain for House of Representatives asked to resign\u2014UPDATED<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"From The Hill:\u00a0 House Chaplain Patrick Conroy\u2019s sudden resignation has sparked a furor on Capitol Hill, with sources in both parties saying he was pushed\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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