{"id":64207,"date":"2018-04-27T05:50:24","date_gmt":"2018-04-27T05:50:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=64207"},"modified":"2018-04-27T05:50:24","modified_gmt":"2018-04-27T05:50:24","slug":"house-chaplain-was-asked-to-resign-he-still-doesnt-know-why","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/news\/house-chaplain-was-asked-to-resign-he-still-doesnt-know-why.html","title":{"rendered":"House Chaplain Was Asked to Resign. He Still Doesn\u2019t Know Why."},"content":{"rendered":"

House Chaplain Was Asked to Resign. He Still Doesn\u2019t Know Why.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

The chaplain of the House said on Thursday that he was blindsided when Speaker Paul D. Ryan asked him to resign two weeks ago, a request that he complied with but was never given a reason for.<\/span><\/p>\n

The sudden resignation of the chaplain, the Rev. Patrick J. Conroy, shocked members of both parties. He had served in the role since he was nominated in 2011 by Speaker John A. Boehner, a fellow Catholic. In an interview, Father Conroy was categorical: His departure was not voluntary.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was asked to resign, that is clear,\u201d Father Conroy said. As for why, he added, \u201cthat is unclear.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI certainly wasn\u2019t given anything in writing,\u201d he said. \u201cCatholic members on both sides are furious.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Father Conroy said he received the news from Mr. Ryan\u2019s chief of staff. \u201cThe speaker would like your resignation,\u201d Father Conroy recalled being told. He complied.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs you have requested, I hereby offer my resignation as the 60th chaplain of the United States House of Representatives,\u201d Father Conroy wrote in a letter to Mr. Ryan several days later. \u201cI wish all the best of the House of Representatives, and for your upcoming search for a worthy successor in the office of the chaplain.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

His final day will be May 24.<\/span><\/p>\n

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.<\/span><\/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<\/span><\/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<\/span><\/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.<\/span><\/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<\/span><\/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<\/span><\/p>\n

Shortly after, when he saw Mr. Ryan himself, Father Conroy said that the speaker told him, \u201cPadre, you just got to stay out of politics.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThat is what I have tried to do for seven years,\u201d Father Conroy said. \u201cIt doesn\u2019t sound political to me.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf you are hospital chaplain, you are going to pray about health,\u201d he added. \u201cIf you are a chaplain of Congress, you are going to pray about what Congress is doing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Father Conroy said that was the only time anyone from the speaker\u2019s office had ever chastised him for veering into the political realm. \u201cI\u2019ve never been talked to about being too political in seven years,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

A congressional aide for Mr. Ryan said that no specific prayer had led to the decision.<\/span><\/p>\n

Father Conroy said that his only communication with Mr. Ryan or his office since he was asked to resign came on Wednesday morning, when the speaker thanked him for his seven years of service before the House welcomed President Emmanuel Macron of France.<\/span><\/p>\n

Father Conroy said he did not ask Mr. Ryan why he was asked to resign, and he does not plan to contest his departure. \u201cI do not want to debate this,\u201d he said. \u201cMy understanding going into this is that I serve at the prerogative of the speaker.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But lawmakers from both parties are demanding answers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Representatives Walter B. Jones, Republican of North Carolina, and Gerald E. Connolly, Democrat of Virginia, are circulating a letter for their colleagues to sign, asking Mr. Ryan for more information.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m very upset,\u201d Mr. Jones said. \u201cIf this is true about the prayer, and we have freedom of religion in America, how about freedom of religion on the floor of the House?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThe members of the House vote for the chaplain,\u201d he continued. \u201cThis is not a one-man decision. The House should have the facts of whatever the problem is.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mr. Connolly said he was worried about the precedent Mr. Ryan\u2019s decision could set. The letter asks the speaker for a description of the process that was followed, and for a justification of the decision.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe believe that, absent such details, questions will inevitably arise about the politicization of the process for hiring and dismissing a House chaplain,\u201d the letter says. \u201cNot revealing such details could also risk resurrecting prior questions of religious bias.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPat is a fairly popular figure in the House,\u201d Mr. Connolly said. \u201cHe\u2019s counseled people and tended to their personal and spiritual needs. This is a personal and jarring decision that affects all of us in a big way.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Because of the lack of clarity surrounding his resignation, Father Conroy said that he had been fielding calls from friends and House members, some inaccurately congratulating him on his retirement or worrying that he was sick.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey asked me why I am leaving, why I am abandoning them, congratulations on your retirement, what is next,\u201d he said. \u201cTo which I say, \u2018I wasn\u2019t looking for a job.\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cFor the most part, that information has been met by shock,\u201d he continued. \u201cThat is the gratifying part.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Father Conroy said that he had thoroughly enjoyed being the House chaplain, and that he had not politicized his work.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI have found it myself to be personally liberating because I have not been allowed to engage in the politics of the day, which has been very healthy for me,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m grateful that that was my ministry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

When Pope Francis visited the United States in 2015, Father Conroy gave him a personal blessing in Spanish. He has traveled with congressional delegations to Southeast Asia and to the Middle East. He has also acted as personal spiritual adviser to many members of both parties, and to their families.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m going to miss that kind of stuff,\u201d Father Conroy said. But, he added, \u201cThere will be another ministry.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2018\/04\/26\/us\/politics\/patrick-conroy-paul-ryan-house-chaplain.html<\/span><\/p>\n

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