Paul Ryan is wrong to fire Jesuit who prays for the poor

Shame on Speaker Ryan! Father Ryan prayed truth to power.

Daniella Diaz, Deirdre Walsh, Sunlen Serfaty, Lauren Fox and Daniel Burke

(In my opinion, the Republican support to fire the Jesuit Father Pat Conroy was an anti-Catholic move, made to put an Evangelical in the position.  It makes no sense that Father Conroy was asked to resign as the Chaplain for the House of Representatives, without cause.)

“Catholic members on both political parties are furious,” said the Rev. Patrick J. Conroy (picture right), who has served as the House chaplain since 2011. CreditTom Williams/CQ Roll Call, via Associated Press

Republicans grill Ryan over House chaplain firing ~ Father 

(CNN) At least two Republican House members confronted Speaker Paul Ryan on Friday, morning at their caucus meeting over the firing of the House chaplain, multiple Republicans coming out of the meeting Friday told CNN.

One of the members who brought up concerns was New York Republican Rep. Pete King, who said afterward that Ryan's explanation for asking the Rev. Father Pat Conroy, a Jesuit priest, to resign was "unsatisfactory." Both King and Ryan are Catholic.

"To me it was an unsatisfactory answer," King said. "It is such an unprecedented action to be to only be taken for very, very serious issues. And the speaker said it was just because certain people said he was not complying with their request or was not giving good counsel. I never heard that from anyone. Anyone who I know who deals with him has the highest regard for him."

Jesuits close to Conroy told CNN that Ryan's office asked Conroy to come by the speaker's office around the Easter recess. 

Father Conroy was told he was being asked to resign but not told why. It was kind of a "thanks for your service, Padre" kind of conversation, Jesuits close to Father Conroy described to CNN.

The sources said Father Conroy was particularly perplexed because he has made strong friendships with Republicans in his seven years as chaplain and genuinely does try to stay out of politics.

Just a few days before he was asked to resign, he told Catholics in California that he is "in the one job in the US where I absolutely have to abstain from politics!"

In fact, Father Conroy resigned April 15 after he spent nearly seven years praying at the outset of House sessions. 

Also, Father Conroy wrote two versions of his resignation letters, which were both obtained by CNN by a congressional source. 

In the first letter, he writes that Ryan should consult with his chief of staff on a resignation date, but the second letter stated that May 24, would be his last day.

Republican Speaker Ryan's reasons

It's not immediately clear why Father Conroy was asked to resign. CNN reported Thursday that Ryan requested the House chaplain resign from his post earlier this month, and several prominent Democratic lawmakers want to know more information as to why the Jesuit priest was asked to step down.

On Thursday, Ryan's spokesperson AshLee Strong denied that Father Conroy was pushed out for anything he said or did, but she didn't elaborate on what triggered the resignation request.

"The speaker consulted with the minority leader, but the decision was his," she told CNN in a statement. "He remains grateful for Father Conroy's service."

According to a person who attended Friday's conference meeting, Speaker Ryan explained that he asked Father Conroy to resign "based on member feedback about pastoral care." (MaineWriter ~ Hello? Speaker Ryan has no conscience, because he knows zero about "pastoral care".)

A separate GOP member who attended the meeting said Republican Ryan "didn't say this as bluntly but the reason for the change is that many of us like Father Conroy, but we feel like he didn't do anything. We never see him. We never hear from him. We'd like to have a more active Priest/Pastor."

At the meeting, King asked Ryan if the decision was made due to any political pressure or political motivation. Ryan responded "no" and disputed the notion that it was related to a prayer in October about tax reform.

Republicans praise fired Father Conroy and don't know why he was fired.  When asked what reasons Ryan gave in the caucus meeting for why the chaplain was fired, GOP Rep. Doug Lamborn was at a total loss for words.

GOP Rep. Mark Walker refuted rumors circulating among House members that he told Ryan he wanted a minister with a family to take over as House chaplain.

"I have no problem, Catholic, bishop, priest, male or female, my only point was that they would have some familial experience or family-based ministry," Walker told CNN. "What they thought I was talking about was somebody that had to be married -- not at all. We would want somebody who had some experience dealing with issues and families."

When asked what prompted his remarks, he said he never complained about the chaplain.

"I never even had any interaction with him ... I never complained to Paul," he said. "I know there were multiple members who did."
GOP Rep. Tom Rooney, a Catholic, told CNN before Friday's votes that he "loved" the Chaplain and that he was "a great priest." 

He voted "present" for the motion to investigate the chaplain firing.
"I think he is a great priest," he said. "Obviously, the Catholic Church and the Republican Party don't always marry up and neither does the Catholic Church and the Democratic Party, so I don't think it's supposed to be a litmus test on whether or not it fits neatly into one party or another."

Democrats want answers
New York Democratic Rep. Joseph Crowley offered a privileged resolution on the House floor, trying to force investigation about firing of the chaplain. It was eventually voted down by the House.


Democratic Rep. Gerry Connolly, who is Catholic, told CNN Thursday he wasn't sure why Ryan made the decision and wants the Wisconsin Republican to answer questions over "this breach that he created." 

Connoly's office was among several circulating a letter Friday afternoon signed by 148 members "requesting information on his decision to remove the House chaplain."

An aide for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi told CNN she made it clear to Ryan that she had only received positive comments about Father Conroy's service from House lawmakers. 

Additionally, the aide also said Pelosi, who is also Catholic, made it clear to Ryan that she disagreed with his decision.

Pelosi released a statement Friday saying Father Conroy "ministered to the needs" of members and that his term had been a "blessing of grace and dignity."

"It is truly sad that he made this decision, and it is especially bewildering that he did so only a matter of months before the end of his term," Pelosi said. 

"The Speaker did this knowing that he had no power to fire Father Conroy and instead chose to force him out by demanding his resignation."

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, a Methodist pastor for more than 30 years, went straight to the speaker's office on Thursday and told his chief of staff that Ryan's move to fire the House chaplain was "ugly" and "awful."

Shame on Speaker Ryan for irresponsible firing of the Jesuit Father Conroy

Cleaver delivered that message after he met with Father Conroy to hear about why he was told he needed to go and was told that Jonathan Burks, the top aide to the speaker asked him to step down and gave him the letter to sign.
The Missouri Democrat tried to meet with Ryan personally but ended up having a 30 minute meeting with Burks, who he said was "cordial and listened."

Cleaver noted that the Jesuit's career and reputation is forever damaged by the episode, "I am extremely pained by the new ways that we can tell the public that we are dysfunctional," an emotional Cleaver told reporters off the House floor on Friday.