WASHINGTON, DC (CWNews.com) - The US House of Representatives will have a Catholic chaplain after all when the previous nominee, a Presbyterian, pulled his name from consideration today.

    Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert, R-Illinois, said the Rev. Charles Wright had earlier this week offered to pull his name from consideration after Republicans were accused of anti-Catholic bias for passing over a priest.

    Four months ago, Hastert chose Wright to be the next chaplain, but another nominee, Father Tim O'Brien, complained he was passed over for being Catholic -- a charge picked up by Democrats as a political hot potato. Sources said O'Brien was not chosen because most of his career was spent as a political activist and academic and not in pastoral ministry.

    Late Thursday afternoon, Hastert addressed the House and announced that his new selection would be Father Daniel Coughlin, a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago who has extensive experience counseling diocesan priests.