White smoke: Boehner’s encounter with Pope Francis changed Congress forever

An audience with the Pope is a day he remembers.

But only in the Capitol Hill will become the next day to visit the Pope more unforgettable.

The late Pope Francis came to Washington, DC, to speak to a joint meeting of congress on September 24, 2015. It was not the first back in the Capitol Hill. But the Pope is the head of the state, and rules the city of the Vatican and the Apostolic Russian. As such, Francis became the first door to speak to a joint meeting of Congress in the House of Representatives Chamber.

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The legislators shower the Holy Father with applause and two permanent applause during its title. Two Catholics were wandering behind Pope Francis on Dais: Then Vice President Joe Biden and former House of Representatives John Boiner, R-OHIO. As a vice -president, Biden served as Speaker Speaker. As a speaker, Buener was the constitutional employee of the legislative branch.

Boiner received his eyes with a handkerchief several times during a letter of 3400 words.

Pope Francis appealed to the legislators to treat each other – and their components – in dignity.

“We need to avoid a common temptation at the present time. To ignore everything that is annoying. Let’s remember the golden rule:” Do others as they will make them do for you, “he said.

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President Joe Biden, left, exchanges gifts with Pope Francis as they meet in the Vatican on October 29, 2021. (Vatican media via AP)

One thing I remember about visiting the Pope is the design of dances. Congress workers released small green slices of the tape to marble floors in the Capitol. The names were placed on the tape in magic black at different points around the complex. “McCarthy”, “Pelosi” or “McConnell”. Each part of the politician – and the Papoy – Stagrecraft.

The tape is dictated where the main political leaders are accompanying Pope Francis to the house room or in front of the Junipero Serra statue in the statue hall.

The “X” channel was characterized by a floor in front of Serra. Pope Sera Sera, the day before to visit the Capitol in Bazilica, the National Mausoleum of the Come on in Washington. Sera’s first American to become a saint on American soil. Blessed Pop Francis statue Serra. The holy statue depicts a cross in his right hand, and looks at the sky towards the sky.

Someone recorded a green arrow over the black and white tiles in the statues, pointing to the headphone office.

This indicates the next station for the Pope on Capitol Hill.

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Pope Francis deals with the joint session of Congress in Washington, DC, on September 24, 2015. (Vincenzo Pinto/AFP via Getty Images)

Then Pope Francis and the footnote walked towards the office of Buener and on the balcony of the spokesman overlooking the Western Front from the Capitol and below the National Commercial Center towards the Washington monument.

A crowd collected on the land of the Capitol.

The Pope said: “Buenos Dias”, which revives the crowd as it does from the “Pope’s window” in the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on Sunday. “I am grateful for your presence.”

Then the pilgrims bless the floor below.

“Papa! Baba!” The crowd chanted.

When the Pope first arrived at the Capitol, Boiner met at the office of the ceremonial spokesman off the home of the house.

Boiner walks with a nervous pace while waiting for Pope Francis on the tiles of the nineteenth century, which adorns the office.

The former spokesman said: “It is in Boiner time.” “Which is on time.”

Boehner wore the signature of Kelly Green Tie for this occasion – a piece of old Boehner clothes, dating back to when he served in the legislative body of Ohio and nominated for the first time in Congress in 1990. When Pope Francis arrived, he told the former spokesman that the tie “The color of hope”.

A few days later, Boehner suffocated a story about what Pope Francis told him when they were about to get out of the Capitol.

“We have found ourselves alone,” said Buener from himself and Francis.

Pope Francis meditates during the opening of the UNESCO chair at the Pap for the University of Luran in Rome on October 7, 2021. (Filippo Monteforte/AFP via Getty Images)

The Pope grabbed the headphone arm.

“The Pope puts his arm around me and attracted me to him and said:” I hope you pray for me. “Wow. Who am I praying for the Pope? “But I did.”

Boiner left the Capitol that night. But his confrontation with the Holy Father apparently turned the spokesman – and changed the course of the house for years to come.

The speaker decided to resign the next morning.

“He was trying to get out here for years,” said a source close to the spokesman at the time.

Boehner’s departure plans were thwarted when Eric Cantor, the former heir leader, lost in the spring of 2014.

Even Boehner soldiers on.

By late July 2015, former White House Chief of Staff in Trump and former MP Mark Medose, RN.C, prepared a “proposal to evacuate the chair.” Those who follow Capitol Hill know everything about such a movement now. But it was a novel a decade ago. Such a proposal requires the House of Representatives to obtain confidence in the speaker in the middle of the conference. Long legislators have not used the tactic before. It was barely discussed.

Pope Francis meet President Donald Trump at the Special Library of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican city on May 24, 2017. (Vatican/billiards/Galazka/Archivio Grzegorz Galazka/Mondadori via Getty Images)

Meadows released his decision immediately before the August holiday – but unprecedented.

This gave Bohner and The House a month to overcome whether Meadows might try to overthrow the speaker when legislators returned in September.

The night that followed the Pope’s visit, Boiner called his chief of staff, Mike Somers, to tell him that he intends to step down. Boenner also told his wife Deby about his plans.

“This morning, I woke up, and my prayers said, as I always do, and I thought,” this is the day I will do, “Boiner said.

Boiner then surprised a meeting of the Republican Conference in the House of Representatives, which was intending to resign.

This step sent a shock wave across Washington.

“My first job as a speaker is the protection of the institution,” said Buener. “It has become clear to me that these lengthy driving disorders will harm the institution.”

The departure of Buener began – a day after his confrontation with Pope Francis – what some might consider “the” long -time disturbances “that the former spokesman was contemplating to avoid.

It was believed that former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. – Then the leader of the majority of the House of Representatives – will go up to the job. But as it was amazing like the departure of Buener, McCarthy was excluded. Moments before Republicans were appointed in the House of Representatives to take advantage of McCarthy as the following speaker, McCarthy withdrew from the competition. He lacked voices.

Representative Kevin McCarthy, R-CALIF. , To Capitol in the United States in Washington, DC, on October 3, 2023. (Nathan Howard/Bloomberg via Getti Emaiz)

McCarthy Robet Capitol Hill for weeks. Former parliament Speaker Paul Ryan, R and Weskonsen, eventually took over. But Ryan was hesitant. He even issued a statement that he does not want it.

Others jumped in: Representative Daniel Webster, R Florida, along with the former actors.

But Ryan finally came. Fox was told at the time that if Ryan did not come, “there will be blood on the ground” at home where the Republicans have formed the inner Donbruck.

Ryan remained speaking about the House of Representatives until he retired in early 2019. Democrats won the Council in the middle of the period 2018. Former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, returned to California, to the speech she held eight years ago.

But the Democrats lost the House of Representatives in the middle of the period 2022. Although McCarthy described a 40 -seat defeat for the Republican Party, the Republicans took control of the House of Representatives with a thread.

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Parliament Speaker Mike Johnson, R does not. , Left, former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-CALIF. (Getty Images)

Thus, it started in a five -day battle in early 2023, when McCarthy struggled for 15 rounds before winning speech. It was the longest speaker race since the mid -nineteenth century.

But McCarthy went by early November.

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Meadows has never been active in 2015. But former MP Matt Gaetz, R-FLA. He did in 2023.

McCarthy was done. The house spent three weeks in an attempt to elect a new speaker.

First, tried the majority leader in the House of Representatives Steve Scales, R does not. Then the Chairman of the Judicial Committee in the House of Representatives Jim Jordan, R-OHIO. Then the majority house is Tom Amir, R. Min.

Nothing prevailed.

Finally, one of Fraya’s participants appeared: Parliament Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La.

Representative Mike Johnson, a Republican of Louisiana, holds the clown after his re -election in the House of Representatives during the first session of the 119th conference in the House of Representatives Chamber of Capitol in Washington, DC, on January 3. (Kent Nishimura/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The House of Representatives has never been the same since Benner issued its sudden announcement after confronting Pope Francis. The speech seems to rise on the edge of these days – at least when Republicans turn the room. Johnson bears the threats of “evacuation of the chair”. Representative Margori Taylor Green, RG Ga, only wore it last year.

During the battle of the spokesperson for the 2015 succession and the spokesperson for three weeks for 2023, he asked friends if the “white smoke” would be sent from the Capitol dome. They suggested that he indicate the election of a new home spokesman.

In a few days, the Cardinate College will start to choose a successor for Pope Francis. It is a political process. It is not different from what is happening in Congress when there is a vacancy in speech. We will know that there is a new door when the white smoke comes out of a channel above the Sistine Church.

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Cardinals attended the Catholic Church the electoral range in the Sistin Church in the Vatican in the Vatican city of April 18, 2005. (Arturo Marie, the Vatican Blessing)

It was an important day when Pope Francis spoke to a joint meeting of Congress in 2015. But in the enormous terms of Congress, today he was then seismic to the nature of the institution. Bowner resigned in an unstable era about who heads the house. The visit of Pope Francis and Boenner had been created forever together in the annuals of Capitol Hill.

As a result, whenever there is a future House Speaker in the future, political observers will always search for political “white smoke” to see if legislators have settled on a new leader.