Washington Post Writers Group
WASHINGTON Praying for the poor is now apparently a firing offense in the corridors of power.
House Speaker Paul Ryan did not give a reason when his chief of staff this month told the Rev. Patrick Conroy, a Jesuit priest and House chaplain, to resign or face dismissal.
But we know this much: Ryans office complained to Conroy about a prayer he offered on the House floor during the tax overhaul debate that those who continue to struggle in American would not be made losers under new tax laws. Ryan admonished the priest after the Nov. 6 prayer, saying, Padre, you just got to stay out of politics, Conroy told the New York Times.
He was warned. He was given an explanation. Nevertheless, he persisted.
Over the five months since Ryans warning, Conroy dared to continue to preach the teachings of Jesus on the House floor:
He prayed to God that lawmakers would help the least among us.
He prayed for them to follow the example of St. Nicholas, who fed the hungry, brought hope to the imprisoned, gave comfort to the lost.
He admonished lawmakers to serve other people in their need, and to pray for the unemployed and those who work but still struggle to make ends meet.
After an immigration deal collapsed, he urged those who possess power here in Washington be mindful of those whom they represent who possess little or no power.
He prayed for lawmakers to be free of all prejudice and, after the Parkland, Florida, school shooting, to fulfill the hopes of those who long for peace and security for their children.
But such political sentiments are apparently no longer compatible with service as House chaplain. As you have requested, I hereby offer my resignation, Conroy, named chaplain seven years ago by John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, wrote to Ryan on April
16. The ouster became public Thursday.
Only in this perverted time could a priest lose his job after committing the sin of crying out for justice for the poor.
But then, look around: Everywhere are the signs of a rising kleptocracy. The $1.5 trillion tax cut did make winners of corporations and the wealthy. And actions since then show that the Trump administration is making losers of the poor.
In a speech to bankers last week, Trump budget director Mick Mulvaney spoke of the hierarchy that he followed when he was in Congress: If you were a lobbyist who never gave us money, I didnt talk to you. If you were a lobbyist who gave us money, I might talk to you.
