Newt Gingrich Speaks about His Conversion

How does a Baptist come to be Catholic?
It was a pretty long progression. My PhD is in European history. You can’t engage in understanding Europe and America without trying to understand the Bible, Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, the Reformation and counter-reformation. From that standpoint, you inexorably have to engage the Church and you come to realize that it’s this 2,000-year-old structure.
I’ve lived in Germany, France, and Belgium. Part of my being is medieval in that I resonate with large Cathedrals and the pageantry of the Church at its fullest. It didn’t occur to me for the longest time that that might have personal ramifications.
My wife Callista was raised in a Catholic family and has attended Church every week of her life since the age of three. She sings in the choir at the Basilica. I got into the habit of trying to be a good husband, and would attend the noon Mass to hear her sing. It made the week go better. The Basilica is the largest Catholic Church in America. It’s a beautiful Church and has a perfect music program.
Year by year I was drawn in by the work of rectors Monsignor Michael Bransfield and Monsignor Walter Rossi. Five years ago, we went to Europe with the choir. I had no responsibilities other than being a spouse. Monsignor Rossi and I got into conversations about the crisis of our civilization. The more I began to think about how we are parallel to Paul’s world, the more I thought about the Church.

full interview here