Having finally brought a Pope to address Congress after decades of trying, John Boehner called it quits Friday as speaker of the House.

That crowning achievement was, of course, not the only reason he decided to head for the exit. By his own account, Boehner overstayed his intended tenure and would have stepped down sooner but for the unexpected primary loss last year by former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., who could have been expected to step into his shoes.