Yesterday, Rep. Nancy Pelosi expressed her concerns about voting for Father Patrick Conroy, selected by House Speaker John Boehner to be the new House Chaplain. She cited the priest’s association with the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus, which has been the subject of sex abuse claims. The Catholic League criticized her objections yesterday. Now she says she is satisfied with his nomination. In a new development, Rep. Peter DeFazio is raising questions about Conroy.
Catholic League president Bill Donohue comments as follows:
Rep. Pelosi is ascribing her change of heart to the responses provided by Father Conroy to questions posed by her office. Pelosi’s staff is now saying that this “additional information” accounts for her new position. This reply, however, strains credulity.
Since Father Conroy’s bona fides were never the issue, what changed? What could he possibly say, or provide in the way of “additional information,” that would change Pelosi’s mind? After all, her reservations about the priest had nothing to do with him, but with his associations.
Rep. Pelosi had an opportunity to condemn the principle upon which she expressed her initial concerns, namely her embrace of “guilt by association,” but she refused to do so. This does not speak well of her.
We noticed that Rep. Peter DeFazio wants to know more about Father Conroy’s knowledge of sex abuse in his religious community. Perhaps DeFazio should first explain to us what he knew about the sexual exploits of his fellow congressmen over the years. After all, there are quite a number of sexual deviants in both parties that DeFazio may have known something about. Now would be a good time for him to come clean. He is in a position to put moral turpitude front-and-center for all elected officials, so let’s see what he does. We will contact his office immediately.
