House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, a practicing Roman Catholic, said in a new web video Thursday that he gave up impatience and anxiety as his Lenten sacrifice this year.
While most Catholics give up a favorite sweet, and some forgo meat or full meals, Mr. Ryan said he’s done those sorts of sacrifices before, and felt it made more sense to work on what he called his own character problems.
“I gave up impatience and anxiety this year,” he said in a brief video released by his office.
Lent is the religious season before Easter, meant to be a special time of prayer, fasting and penance as a reminder of the 40 days Jesus spent in the desert being tested by the devil.
“I used to give up food things, I used to give up, you know, beer, or ice cream or pop. Typically what I do is don’t pick those things back up. Ice cream and beer I still have a little bit, but I’ve given up so many things over the years, food-wise, that I decided to witch my Lenten vows to character deficiencies, or problems I’ve had,” Mr. Ryan said.
He said he first tried a behavioral change several years ago when, as the new chairman of the House Budget Committee, he was fighting to get a conservative budget approved by a fractured GOP.
“I gave up fear that year and was able to pass our budget and do it happily, joyfully,” Mr. Ryan said.
Mr. Ryan is the third Catholic in a row to hold the speaker’s post, following Rep. Nancy Pelosi, California Democrat, and former Rep. John A. Boehner, an Ohio Republican who stepped down last year.
On Wednesday, in a speech about injecting civility into politics, Mr. Ryan said his faith is integral to his public life, and particularly informs his efforts to combat poverty.
“I’m a Christian who chooses to practice Christianity as a practicing Catholic. And we have certain principles that I think are very important that apply very well to what we do in public life as lay Catholics,” he said.
“It gives me a sense of philosophy that is grounded in my faith, but it also gives me a sense of how I should conduct myself, both personally and publicly, because I think they’re inseparable, number one. Number two, you’re always going to fail. And when you fail, and after you fail, you ask for forgiveness and you try and pick up and improve yourself going forward,” Mr. Ryan said in his speech.
• Stephen Dinan can be reached at sdinan@washingtontimes.com.
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