Trump Nominates CatholicVote President Brian Burch for Ambassador to The Vatican

‘Brian loves his Church and the United States,’ Trump said on Truth Social. ‘He will make us all proud.’

Pedestrians walk in St Peter's Square in the Vatican on Oct. 13, 2023. Filippo Monteforte/AFP via Getty Images

President-elect Donald Trump has nominated CatholicVote president Brian Burch to be the U.S. Ambassador to The Holy See in Rome.

Describing Burch as “a devout Catholic,” Trump said, “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!” Trump said on Truth Social.

“Brian loves his Church and the United States. He will make us all proud.”

The Holy See is the name of the governing body of the Catholic Church located in Vatican City, currently led by Pope Francis I.

Vatican City—an independent city-state within Rome, Italy—is the heart of a faith held by more than one billion people worldwide.

Burch, a husband and father of nine children, accepted the nomination and thanked his wife, children, late father, and team at CatholicVote.org.

“The Catholic Church is the largest and most important religious institution in the world, and its relationship to the United States is of vital importance,” Burch said on X. “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.”

Founded by Burch in 2005, CatholicVote.org is a nonprofit advocacy organization for Catholic lay people—those who are not priests, nuns, or hold another celibate-bound role in a religious order. Its website describes it as “a community of patriotic Americans who believe that the timeless truths of the Catholic faith are good for America.”

“We make it our mission to inspire every Catholic in America to live out the truths of our faith in public life,” the website states.

Burch has received the Cardinal John O’Connor Defender of the Faith Award from Legatus and the St. Juan Diego Leadership Award from The Catholic Professional Global Network.

His organization has also been criticized as being a conservative advocacy group, particularly in its advocating for the church’s pro-life stance and position on LGBT matters. It also covers news topics concerning physical attacks on churches and Catholics across the country and abroad and legal battles concerning parental rights.

Burch’s appointment will require Senate approval.

The Epoch Times has reached out to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops for comment on Trump’s nomination.

This decision followed President Joe Biden’s announcement that he will make one last trip to The Vatican in January before the end of his term.