Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich was scheduled to do a screening of his documentary of Nine Days That Changed The World at the Basilica of St. John in Des Moines on May 16th. The documentary chronicled the impact that Pope John Paul II’s visit to Poland made on that country throwing off communism.
The church just canceled the event yesterday.
They said it was due to a possible conflict of interest due to his potentially running for President. Ok, but he’s been kicking this around for some time now. Gingrich is a recent convert to Catholicism, but I have to wonder if this had more to do with his personal baggage than his presidential run. The Basilica of St. John is a very traditional congregation… I can’t imagine his history of divorce and adultery would go over well there (or elsewhere in social conservative circles).
I’m sure the conflict of interest played a part, but I have a hard time believing that is all there is involved. I believe this could be a sign of how hard it is going to be for him to gain traction with Iowa’s social conservatives.
HT: Memeorandum