On Sept. 24, 2015, the sergeant-at-arms of the U.S. House of Representatives announced a visitor unlike any other in the history of Congress: ‘Mr. Speaker, the Pope of the Holy See.’ With those words, Pope Francis, became the first Bishop of Rome to address the United States Congress. A mere twenty-four hours later, John Boehner, the 53rd Speaker of the House and the architect of the Pope’s visit, announced his resignation.
After 30 years of public service, the sudden announcement took his colleagues by surprise. Why was he stepping down? Was he simply tired of Washington politics, or was there something more to it? Was it something the Pope said?
In this exclusive, extensive interview, Mr. Boehner discusses his decades in the public life, the current state of America politics and his personal life of faith.
Read more of the Rev. Matt Malone, S.J.'s interview with John Boehner: https://www.americamagazine.org/polit...
