House Speaker John Boehner, who cried through the Pope's speech to Congress on Thursday, will step down at the end of October.
John Boehner was unable to control his emotions after announcing his resignation as House Speaker.
Boehner, who cried through the Pope's speech to Congress on Thursday, was collected as he made the abrupt announcement on Friday – but he became emotional again as he recalled a moment he shared with the pontiff alone. He said the Pope asked the speaker to pray for him.
"Well who am I to pray for the Pope?" he said. "But I did."
Read: John Boehner Cries as Pope Francis Addresses a Joint Congress For the First Time
Of his resignation, he added: "This morning, I woke up, said my prayers, as I always do, and thought, 'This is the day I am going to do this.'"
He said he will step down at the end of October.
Boehner, now 65, was first elected to Congress in 1990 and took over as speak in 2011 but faced the hurdles of a fractured government.
Read: Pope Francis Tours New York City, Tells World Leaders to 'Respect One Another'
He said on Friday: “I never thought I’d be in Congress, let alone be speaker.”
President Obama said that the resignation took him by surprise.
"We have obviously had a lot of disagreements, and politically we are at the opposite end of the spectrum," Obama said. But he said Boehner "has always conducted himself with civility and courtesy with me."
Watch Below: Pope Francis Makes History Addressing Congress
