NEWS STORY: House Speaker Appoints Catholic Priest as Chaplain

c. 2000 Religion News Service WASHINGTON _ House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., appointed a Catholic priest from Chicago as the new House chaplain Thursday (March 23), simultaneously making House history and attempting to end a months-long controversy on Capitol Hill. The Rev. Daniel Coughlin, vicar for priests of the Chicago archdiocese, was sworn in on […]

c. 2000 Religion News Service

WASHINGTON _ House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., appointed a Catholic priest from Chicago as the new House chaplain Thursday (March 23), simultaneously making House history and attempting to end a months-long controversy on Capitol Hill.

The Rev. Daniel Coughlin, vicar for priests of the Chicago archdiocese, was sworn in on the House floor shortly after Hastert announced his decision.


“Daniel Coughlin is a Catholic,” Hastert said on the House floor. “That does not make him more nor less qualified for the job. But I am proud of his historic appointment. And I hope his appointment will help us heal.”

Coughlin, 65, succeeds the Rev. James D. Ford, a Lutheran who retired after serving in the post since 1979. Coughlin is the first Catholic House chaplain.

Coughlin has served on numerous committees dealing with prayer, spirituality and liturgical renewal and contributed to a document produced by the National Conference of Catholic Bishops called “The Spiritual Renewal of the American Priesthood.”

The Rev. Charles Wright, a Presbyterian Church (USA) minister who was the previous nominee for the position, wrote a letter to Hastert Wednesday (March 22)“regrettably” withdrawing his name from the process.

“In these weeks following my appointment, anti-religious charges of the selection process caused dissension among the members and wounds between Catholics and other people of faith across our nation,” Wright wrote. “I humbly ask that members put aside any misuse of religion for political advantage.”

Wright could not be reached for further comment.

Hastert, in lengthy remarks on the floor, voiced his anger at the charges by some that Wright’s selection as a nominee over Catholic priest Timothy O’Brien reflected anti-Catholic bias. He said he waited four months hoping that Wright could be given an affirmative vote by the House.

“Sadly, it has become clear to me that the minority will never support Charles Wright to be the House chaplain,” Hastert said. “Instead of hearing the positive voice of a godly and caring man, the only voices we hear are whispered hints in dark places that his selection is the result of anti-Catholic bias.”


House Minority Leader Dick Gephardt said on the House floor that he had not leveled charges of bias.

“I have never said, and never believed, that there was bias of any kind in the making of this selection,” he said. “We will do everything in our power to welcome this new chaplain and to make his service here a positive force for every member of this body.”

Rep. Tom Bliley, R-Va., co-chairman of the bipartisan chaplain selection committee that forwarded three names to the House leadership, reiterated to House members that he and co-chairman Earl Pomeroy, D-N.D., had presented three “unranked” names for House leaders to consider.

The names were O’Brien, Wright and the Rev. Robert Dvorak, a Connecticut-based leader of the Evangelical Covenant Church. The list was forwarded to Hastert, Gephardt and Majority Leader Dick Armey, R-Texas.

“Earl and I both said we personally thought that Father O’Brien was the best but … the committee clearly intended that the decision be made by the three leaders without any bias,” he said.

The committee’s report showed a “final tally” of six semi-finalists with O’Brien receiving the most votes _ 14 _ and Wright getting the third-highest number_ 9.5.


KRE END BANKS

Donate to Support Independent Journalism!

Donate Now!