Anti-Catholic bias at play in replacing the chaplain of the House

[DonViejo]

BY PATRICK CAROLAN, OPINION CONTRIBUTOR — 04/29/18 11:00 AM EDT 0 THE VIEWS EXPRESSED BY CONTRIBUTORS ARE THEIR OWN AND NOT THE VIEW OF THE HILL

Patrick Carolan is a Catholic activist, the executive director of the Franciscan Action Network.

Speaker of the House and professed Catholic Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) recently asked Jesuit Priest, Patrick J. Conroy to resign his post as chaplain of the House. There is much speculation as to why Ryan asked for Conroy’s resignation but Democrats argue was due in part to a prayer the chaplain gave on the House floor on Nov. 6, while congressmen were debating tax overhaul legislation.

Conroy said, “May 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,” he prayed. “May their efforts these days guarantee that there are not winners and losers under new tax laws, but benefits balanced and shared by all Americans.”

Although Ryan’s office denies this, Conroy believes this was why he was asked to give his resignation. Additionally, Rep. Mark Walker (R-N.C.), one of three representatives looking for Conroy’s replacement, told The Hill that the next spiritual leader should be someone with a family who can better relate and counsel lawmakers with spouses and children.

Walker’s statement would preclude Catholic nuns and priests who take vows of celibacy. The glaring hypocrisy in these two incidences speaks not to partisan misconduct by a chaplain or defects in Catholic practice, but to a larger struggle undertaken by some to separate the act of practicing one's faith from the social justice inherent in those faiths.

The most glaring inconsistency is that the prayer itself reflects everything supporters professed in the tax bill anyway. Conroy says that there should be no winners and losers but benefits balanced and shared by all Americans. This is the exact line of reasoning supporters of the bill used when fighting for its passage. They argued that it would benefit all Americans.

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http://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/385395-anti-catholic-bias-at-play-in-replacing-the-chaplain-of-the-house

[S.E. TN Liberal]

1. republican'ts will probably insist on an Evil-gelical who supported Roy Moore. nm

[RainCaster]

2. Jim Bakker, Joel Osteen, Franklin Graham...

There is no shortage of disgraced "men of God" for Ryan to choose from.

[CincyDem]

3. I've been wondering if this is a slam at "The Pope's Guy"...

...especially since he's been a more vocal advocate for the poor, the environment, honesty, character...you know, all those christian values that don't exist among the christian republicans in both chambers.

[rurallib]

4. surely more than anti-catholic, but anti-all but a few select denominations

of christianity.
there probably won't be a Jew, a Muslim, a Sikh, a Buddhist, a Hindu, a Pagan on and on........ or a woman for that matter

Just a narrow range of denominations even need apply. My guess is the least Christ like.

Edit to add: so the catholic can whine that their religion is now out of consideration, most religions will never be in.
Best solution? Don't have a freaking "person of God" in the secular government.