Pro-Gay Jesuit Chaplain Back in U.S. House after Being Booted by Paul Ryan

Calvin Freiburger : May 4, 2018
Lifesitenews.com

Regardless of Ryan's reasoning, Father Patrick Conroy is a controversial figure who has openly opposed Catholic teaching on homosexuality.

(Washington, DC)—[Lifesitenews.com] Father Patrick Conroy, a pro-gay Jesuit priest serving as chaplain for the U.S. House of Representatives, has rescinded his resignation a week after outgoing Speaker of the House Rep. Paul Ryan, R-WI, requested it. (Photo: Rev. Patrick Conroy/via LifeSiteNews)

Last week, Conroy stepped down after Ryan, a Catholic, allegedly told him he would be dismissed unless he left voluntarily. However, in a letter to Ryan dated May 3, Conroy retracted that resignation "upon advice of counsel."

The letter accuses Ryan of not giving him a reason for his firing, but claims Ryan chief of staff Jonathon Burks "mentioned dismissively something like, 'maybe it's time that we had a Chaplain that wasn't a Catholic,'" as well as mentioning a House prayer and interview some criticized as overly political. Conroy has previously said Ryan told him, "you just got to stay out of politics."

House Republicans say that Ryan assured them the prayer wasn't a factor, but rather that some had approached him with concern "that their pastoral needs weren't being met," in the words of Rep. Mark Amodei, R-NV.

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," another unnamed Republican told CNN. "We never see him. We never hear from him. We'd like to have a more active priest/pastor."

Conroy's letter claims the discrepancy between the public and private explanations persuaded him to reverse his decision. He says he wants the opportunity to...

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