WASHINGTON — The chaplain of the House of Representatives, who was recently forced to resign by Speaker Paul Ryan, said Thursday that he is rescinding his decision — in effect forcing Ryan to try to fire him.
The Rev. Patrick J. Conroy, a Catholic priest who has been the chaplain for the past 11 years, wrote in a letter to Ryan that he would like to serve out his full two-year term, “and possibly beyond,” unless he is officially terminated. He also intimated that Ryan does not have the authority to fire him, noting that the chaplain, who is selected by the speaker, is elected by the members of the House.
Other WRAL Top Stories
“I have never been disciplined, nor reprimanded, nor have I ever heard a complaint about my ministry during my time as House Chaplain,’’ he wrote.
Complaining that Ryan never spoke to him in person, Conroy also suggested that his Catholic faith played a role in his dismissal. When Ryan’s chief of staff, Jonathan Burks, informed him that the speaker was asking for his letter of resignation, he wrote, “I inquired as to whether or not it was ‘for cause,’ and Burks mentioned dismissively something like ‘Maybe it’s time that we had a chaplain that wasn’t a Catholic.’”