The United States Senate has confirmed the former president and founder of Catholicvote, Brian Burch, to serve as the United States ambassador to the Holy See.
In a vote of 49 to 44 on August 2, the Senate confirmed to the Catholic father of nine children originally from Chicago.
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“I am deeply grateful to President (Donald) Trump and the United States Senate for this opportunity to serve as the next United States ambassador to the Holy See,” Burch said in a shared statement with CNA – Ewtn News agency – in reaction to the news of his confirmation. “As a proud American Catholic, I hope to represent President Trump, the Vice President (JD) Vance and the Secretary (of Framework State) Rubio in this important diplomatic position.”
He added: “I ask for the sentences of all Americans, especially from my Catholics, so that I can serve with honor and fidelity in the noble adventure that awaits me.”
The news of Burch’s confirmation comes after the Senate Democrats initially block it, along with more than 50 other nominations, in May, before the installation mass of Pope Leo XIV. Catholicvote since then appointed Kelsey Reinhardt as his new president.
“I have the honor and fortune to serve in this position after the historic choice of the first American Pope,” Burch said in the statement, adding: “In a remarkable coincidence, or what I prefer to attribute to providence, Pope Leo XIV is from Chicago, which is also my hometown.”
And he also said that “the relationship between the Holy See and the United States remains one of the most unique in the world, with the global reach and moral testimony of the Catholic Church as a fundamental component of US efforts to achieve peace and prosperity.”
In a statement issued on Saturday, the president of Catholicvote, Kelsey Reinhardt, said the organization “celebrates with joy” Burch’s confirmation.
“During the last 17 years, Brian has faithfully defended Catholicvote’s mission to inspire US Catholics to live their faith in public life,” he said. “We trust that it will also stand out in this new position and we will always be grateful for the base that sat and the impact it had on millions of Catholics throughout the country.”
Burch’s confirmation had been in suspense for several months after the senator of Hawaii, Brian Schatz, imposed a general blockade to all the nominees of the State Department, fulfilling a promise he made in protest of the dismantling of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) by the Trump administration.
The leader of the majority in the Senate, John Thune, a republican of South Dakota, presented a closing motion On Burch’s confirmation on July 31, ending the delay.
The Burch nomination had already been previously approved by the Foreign Relations Committee, with the 12 Republicans of the committee voting in favor and 10 Democrats against. During your confirmation audience, Burch He faced questions On the cuts to foreign aid, the Chinese-Vatican agreement and the current war between Israel and Hamas.
At that time, Burch expressed his support for Rubio’s attempts to “recharge and forward our foreign aid in places that would make the United States safer, strong and prosperous.” In addition, he promised to encourage the Holy See to oppose the intervention of the Chinese government in the election of Catholic bishops.
On the conflict between Israel and Hamas, Burch said he believed that the Holy See “can play a very significant role” to permanently end the conflict and achieve the release of the remaining Israeli hostages.
Translated and adapted by the ACI Press team. Originally published in CNA.
Low Elhabbal
Madalaine Elhabbal is a CNA journalist based in the Washington DC office in EWTN. He has published articles in Catholicvote and has also worked as a foreign language assistant in France. She is a graduate of Benedictine College.