Emotional Speaker John Boehner relishes pope's speech to Congress

Luke Skywalker · Sep 24, 2015

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[h=4]Emotional Speaker John Boehner relishes pope's speech to Congress[/h]WASHINGTON — For House Speaker John Boehner, every second of this historic day was special —*personally thrilling, politically significant, spiritually fulfilling, and most of all, emotionally overwhelming.

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Fresh from enrapturing crowds all over Washington, Pope Francis is bringing his message of humility and hope to Capitol Hill as he becomes the first pontiff in history to speak to a joint meeting of Congress. (Sept. 24) AP

Pope Francis waves to the crowd on Capitol Hill as he stands with House Speaker John Boehner and others on the Speaker's Balcony on Sept. 24, 2015, following the pope's address to Congress.(Photo: Susan Walsh, AP)

WASHINGTON — For House Speaker John Boehner, every second of this historic day was special —*personally thrilling, politically significant, spiritually fulfilling, and most of all, emotionally overwhelming.
“What a day,” Boehner said Thursday, at the end of the first-ever papal address to a joint session of Congress.*“What a moment for our country. *… The Holy Father’s visit is surely a blessing for all of us.”
For Boehner, it was not just a blessing but a lifelong dream come true. He had asked three different pope’s to speak to Congress, extending the first invitation more than 20 years ago, and he was overjoyed when Pope Francis became the first to accept.
USA TODAY
Read Pope Francis' full address to Congress

Boehner and an army of his aides planned every detail of the day. The speaker*rose early and carefully picked out a green tie, his favorite color, to go with his usual well-cut dark suit. He skipped his regular stop at Pete’s Diner, where he grabs breakfast on most days he’s in Washington, to get something lighter at his office.
By 9:15, the speaker was*in his ceremonial office across from the House floor, ready for a personal meeting with the pontiff. Five minutes later, Pope Francis entered and Boehner greeted him with a*handshake and a smile.
“Your holiness, welcome, really glad that you’re here,” the former altar boy from Reading, Ohio, told Pope Francis.
Boehner’s eyes moistened as the pope told him he, too, was glad to be there, according to an account of the meeting distributed to reporters.
The two men sat down next to each other, accompanied by Vatican and church officials and Boehner aides.*With photographers’ cameras whirring, Boehner told the pontiff his staff urged him to wear the green tie. Pope Francis complimented the speaker’s choice, through his interpreter.
“He says it’s a tie with the color of hope,” the interpreter told Boehner.
“I need a lot of hope today,” Boehner responded.
Indeed, the backdrop for this carefully choreographed, uplifting moment could not be more incongruous: Congress mired in partisan muck over funding for Planned Parenthood, which could trigger a chaotic government shutdown.
Boehner appeared to be trying to push that conflict —*which also threatens his speakership, as conservatives push him to take a hard line —*to the back of his mind Thursday. He wanted no talk of shutdown politics, although he clearly hoped the pope’s remarkable speech would cause lawmakers to take a deep breath and to heed “our higher callings,” as he put in an interview Monday.
USA TODAY
Pope's immigration message draws praise, criticism from advocacy groups

“With great blessings, of course, come great responsibility,” Boehner said in his post-pope speech statement.* “Let us all go forth with gratitude and reflect on how we can better serve one another.”
In their meeting,*Pope Francis gave Boehner a framed Liberty Bell commemorating the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia this week—the same gift the pope gave to President Obama.
Boehner gave Pope Francis a sterling silver water pitcher with the seal of the speaker on one side. Engraved on the other side was this: “His Holiness Pope Francis, Holy See, September 24, 2015.”
Then, at 9:46 sharp, Boehner arrived in the speaker’s chair and called the House to order. His specially selected guests — including his wife Debbie, his childhood friend Jerry Vanden Eynden, and former Speaker Newt Gingrich — were seated in the House gallery. And 15 minutes later, the House sergeant-at-arms made this announcement: “Mr. Speaker, the pope of the Holy See.”
“History!” Boehner declared in an online essay detailing Thursday’s schedule of events.
As*the pope opened his speech, Boehner already had tears in his eyes and a handkerchief at the ready. Boehner knew the pope’s speech could test his political ideology. And Pope Francis did, with forceful pleas for lawmakers to address climate change, to welcome immigrants, to abolish the death penalty—all messages that sparked warm applause from Democrats and cautious claps from Republicans.

Pope Francis is greeted by House Speaker John Boehner of Ohio and Vice President Biden on Capitol Hill on Sept. 24, 2015.*(Photo: Pablo Martinez Monsivais, AP)

The pope also touched on issues important to conservatives, suggesting traditional marriage was under attack and calling for the protection of “human life at every stage of development.”
Boehner and his aides had warned lawmakers to be on their best behavior — hoping they would not turn the pope’s address into a partisan clapping match. And for the most part, they obeyed — giving him several standing ovations at key moments without dividing into polarized camps over certain catch-phrases.
That came right after, as lawmakers singled out their favorite lines from the pope’s address in flurry of dueling press releases.
“I was struck by his simple defense of the unborn,” said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, who is leading the charge to defund Planned Parenthood and pushing Boehner into a showdown with Obama over the issue. “It has been one of my greatest priorities in office to do just that, and I am glad that the pope specifically focused on this great moral issue as we look ahead to funding the government this fall.”
ONPOLITICS
Pope's speech offers nuggets for partisans of all political stripes

Sen. Sherrod Brown, a liberal Democrat from Ohio, highlighted the pope’s pitch to care for the poor.
“Pope Francis’ address to Congress today outlined why it’s critical that we embrace all people in our global community – especially the poor and overlooked – with understanding and compassion,” Brown said. “His unifying message should remind us all to serve our neighbors and embrace the ‘golden rule’ present in most of the world’s major religions.”
Boehner steered clear of the political commentary and tried to focus on the spiritual. After the pope concluded his 45-minute address, Boehner and Vice President Biden escorted the pope out of the chamber and onto the speaker’s balcony.
There, the pope greeted a throng of well-wishers gathered on the Capitol’s West Lawn. Biden smiled broadly and looked out at the adoring crowd, but Boehner kept his teary eyes glued to the pope. Appearing overcome with emotion, he seemed to want that moment to last forever.
“I’m so proud that so many came to greet the pope here at our Capitol, the world’s greatest symbol of democracy,” he said afterward.
Then, it was*back to political reality in the Capitol, with the pope off to lunch with Washington’s homeless and lawmakers left to their own political devices.
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Emotional Speaker John Boehner relishes pope's speech to Congress

Luke Skywalker

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