John Boehner, speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives has nominated Roman Catholic Jesuit priest Patrick Conroy, S.J. to be the next chaplain for the House. If appointed, Conroy would become the second Catholic in history as well as the first Jesuit priest to hold this post. Roman Catholic chaplains have been appointed to the post only in more recent times, perhaps as congressional religious affiliation has increased to about 30% Roman Catholic, and as both majority and minority leaders have been Catholic. Outgoing Catholic priest Daniel Coughlin (Jesuit-trained) retired recently, the first Catholic ever to serve as the House Chaplain

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