Article snippet: Speaker MORE’s removal of the House chaplain has ignited a firestorm on Capitol Hill and exposed deep religious fault lines among members of Congress. Catholics in both parties condemned Ryan’s ouster of Father Patrick Conroy, a Jesuit priest and the House’s spiritual leader since 2011, while Democrats of all religious stripes accused Ryan of injecting politics into the traditionally non-political role. “The last thing we need in the midst of all of the chaos and dysfunctionality is an argument over religion in the halls of Congress,” said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.), a United Methodist pastor who is part of the small bipartisan panel that will recommend Conroy’s replacement. The chaplain saga captivated the House on Thursday and into Friday, when the Democrats forced a vote to create a select committee to investigate the unusual circumstances surrounding Conroy’s dismissal. The measure failed — only two Republicans backed it — but the backlash to Ryan’s decision was hardly partisan. Impromptu remarks by Rep. MORE (R-N.C.), a Southern Baptist preacher who’s also serving on the bipartisan search committee, have only stirred tensions further. The chairman of the conservative Republican Study Committee, Walker told reporters Thursday he thought the next chaplain should have a family with “adult children” so they can better relate to and counsel lawmakers with spouses and kids. Democratic and some GOP lawmakers felt the comments were blatantly anti-Catholic since m... Link to the full article to read more