Roman Catholicism is so accepted now in the United States, that the forced resignation of the Roman Catholic Jesuit chaplain of the House of Representatives by the Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, caused quite a stir. It even led to a shouting match between lawmakers on the floor of the House. Paul Ryan had made headlines when he forced the resignation of Pat Conroy, S. J. over what was explained at the time as a decision based on feedback from members.
Conroy “sent a letter to Ryan’s office rescinding his resignation that he made weeks earlier – a resignation that caused a firestorm across Capitol Hill as members of both parties demanded answers as to why Conroy was asked to leave. In his letter, Conroy alleged that Ryan’s chief of staff, Jonathan Burks, suggested it might be time for a non-Catholic chaplain when he asked Conroy to resign – an account Burks has denied.
“Hours after the letter was sent, Ryan accepted Conroy’s decision to stay. The controversy has largely subsided since the resignation was canceled, and Conroy has continued in his daily duties and activities as chaplain.”
Backtracking, Ryan made the case for “Catholicism as a faith that can help solve the country’s problems,” while speaking at the National Catholic Prayer Breakfast. Ryan, who is Catholic, said he sees a deepening sense of “identity politics and tribalism” in the country, as well as a trend of “moral relativism” that is becoming more and more pervasive.
“If there was ever a time, if there was ever a place where Catholics — from the clergy to the laity — are needed, it is here and it is now, helping solve this problem, addressing this challenge,” he said. “Our social doctrine is the perfect antidote to what ails our culture.”
“Ryan said he sees ‘this tremendous opportunity for Catholics to lead’ and ‘help bring our culture and our country closer to their great moral potential. We are uniquely suited for this task – from the clergy to the laity, we all have got to step up,’ he added.”
Catholic social doctrine manifests itself in the culture by uniting church and state. It also involves wealth redistribution, the “common good,” catholic moral principles, and ultimately, a state enforced religion (Sunday worship), among other things. One of the issues that has become apparent to some observers is that as America has moved farther and farther from its moral underpinnings and has politically embraced secularism, and as Roman Catholicism has become more politically popular under the influence of the ecumenical movement, the Catholic Church is indeed in a unique position to lead the restructure of America’s moral bearings after its own image.
“My original decision was made in what I believed to be in the best interest of this institution,” said Ryan. “To be clear, that decision was based on my duty to ensure that the House has the kind of pastoral services that it deserves.”
For America to fulfill its prophetic destiny, Roman Catholicism has to reshape American politics and its social order into its own likeness. Once that is achieved, it will be free to guide its lawmakers into making worship laws which are predicted in Scripture.
“And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed.” Revelation 13:12