President-elect Donald Trump on Friday named Brian Burch, president of the political advocacy group CatholicVote, to serve as the next U.S. ambassador to the Holy See in Rome.
In the position, Mr. Burch will serve as the top U.S. diplomat to the Vatican. The Holy See is a term referring to the central government and universal reach of the Catholic Church. The ambassadorship came about after President Ronald Reagan and Pope John Paul II formalized diplomatic relations between the U.S. and the Vatican in 1984.
In a statement, Mr. Trump described Mr. Burch as a “devout Catholic” who “loves his church and the United States.”
The president-elect added: “He has received numerous awards and demonstrated exceptional leadership, helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the country. He represented me well during the last election, having garnered more Catholic votes than any presidential candidate in history.”
Mr. Burch said on X that he’s “deeply honored and humbled” to be nominated for the position.
“Words cannot express my gratitude to all those that have helped me achieve this nomination,” he said, crediting his dad with teaching him about the Catholic faith.
“I am committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the new administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good. I look forward to the confirmation process and the opportunity to serve my country and the church,” he wrote.
• Jeff Mordock can be reached at jmordock@washingtontimes.com.
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