Gingrich told the Christian Broadcast Network that he sought God's 'forgiveness.' 'I was doing things that were wrong'

Newt Gingrich addressed his multiple nuptials and admitted affairs more head-on than he has to date, telling the Christian Broadcast Network that he sought God's "forgiveness" for the things he did wrong and that he now has a "great" marriage.

“There’s no question at times of my life, partially driven by how passionately I felt about this country, that I worked far too hard and things happened in my life that were not appropriate," Gingrich told CBN's David Brody, in an interview taped at the Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition and posted online Tuesday night.


"And what I can tell you is that when I did things that were wrong, I wasn’t trapped in situation ethics, I was doing things that were wrong, and yet, I was doing them," Gingrich said. "I found that I felt compelled to seek God’s forgiveness. Not God’s understanding, but God’s forgiveness. I do believe in a forgiving God. And I think most people, deep down in their hearts hope there’s a forgiving God. Somebody once said that when we’re young, we seek justice, but as we get older, we seek mercy. There's something to that, I think."

He described his current situation and feelings about his life as the result of a spiritual journey.

"I feel that I’m now 67, I’m a grandfather," he said. "I have two wonderful grandchildren. I have two wonderful daughters and two great sons-in-law. Callista and I have a great marriage. I think that I’ve learned an immense amount. And I do feel, in that sense, that God has given me, has blessed me with an opportunity as a person. Forget about all this political stuff. As a person, I’ve had the opportunity to have a wonderful life, to find myself now, truly enjoying the depths of my life in ways that I never dreamed it was possible to have a life that was that nice.”

The former House speaker and conservative icon is one of the likeliest potential GOPers to throw his hat in the ring, yet questions have surrounded how he''ll handle questions about his marriage — from a national press corps that will visit it once again, but also from evangelical voters in Iowa who may have reservations about his past.