SACRED DUTY

Paul Ryan: House Chaplain Was Ousted for Not Meeting ‘Pastoral Needs’

Speaker said decision to ask Rev. Patrick Conroy to resign had nothing to do with politics.

House Speaker Paul Ryan said Friday that he forced Rev. Patrick Conroy to resign from his post as House chaplain because members felt their “pastoral needs” were not being met, according to The Hill. According to sources in the private meeting, Ryan claimed his decision had nothing to do with politics and that members had told him they needed a chaplain who could give them more “spiritual counseling.” More than 100 lawmakers signed a letter to Ryan demanding answers on why Conroy was fired on April 15. Conroy, a Jesuit, notably led a prayer on the House floor that hoped for “benefits balanced and shared by all Americans” during the debate of the GOP tax-cut plan last year.