WASHINGTON _ Speaker Paul D. Ryan is letting House Chaplain Patrick J. Conroy remain in his position, accepting the Jesuit priest's Thursday letter rescinding his resignation that he submitted last month at the speaker's request.
"I have accepted Father Conroy's letter and decided that he will remain in his position as Chaplain of the House," Ryan said in a statement. "My original decision was made in what I believed to be the best interest of this institution."
Conroy said in his letter that the reasoning Ryan's chief of staff Jonathan Burks provided when requesting his resignation on behalf of the speaker did not align with Ryan's own public remarks that his decision was based on member complaints about inadequate pastoral services.
Ryan in his statement Thursday stood by his public remarks on the matter.
"To be clear, that decision was based on my duty to ensure that the House has the kind of pastoral services that it deserves," he said. "It is my job as speaker to do what is best for this body, and I know that this body is not well served by a protracted fight over such an important post. I intend to sit down with Father Conroy early next week so that we can move forward for the good of the whole House."
