July 4: US Embassy celebrates the first American Pope in Rome

Under the shadow of the Roman pines, the Americans in Rome celebrated this July 4 more than barbecues and fireworks: the historical choice of the first Pope born and raised in the United States.

“Let’s celebrate this milestone of having an American Pope on Independence Day, in a spirit of friendship, freedom and shared purpose,” said Laura Hochla, business manager of the United States Embassy before the Holy See, addressing those present in Villa Richardson, residence of the US ambassador.

The traditional annual celebration for Independence, held on June 30, commemorated not only the 249th anniversary of the United States Foundation, but also the 41st anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic relations between Washington and the Holy See, links that charge a new meaning under the Pontificate of León XIV, originally from Chicago and also Peruvian nationalized.

During the reception, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with the states of the Holy See, said that the election of Pope Leo XIV has led “to another level” the contribution of the United States to the Church, while offering a historical review of the relations between both states.

“As an English, I have always approached the celebration of July 4 and American independence with a certain dose of humor rather than solemnity. But now that we have an American Pope, I have to rethink my words,” Mons. Gallagher joked, originally from Liverpool.

The Archbishop recalled that the presence of the Catholic Church in the United States dates back to the first days of the Republic, with humble missionaries and immigrants. “Catholics were sometimes seen suspected in their adoptive land. However, as their number grew, so did their contribution to American society,” he said.

Mons. Gallagher reported that the first diplomatic contact between the United States and the Holy See dates back to 1788, when Benjamin Franklin sent Pope Pius I saw a message from George Washington in which it was stated that the new independent state did not see the need to intervene in the appointment of bishops, because the American revolution had brought not only political freedom, but also religious freedom.

The United States maintained consular relations with the pontifical states since 1797 and diplomatic relations with the Pope between 1848 and 1867, although not at the ambassadors level.

These relations were interrupted in 1867, when Congress prohibited the financing of official links with the Holy See, partly due to the anti -Catholic feeling present in the country. Since then, the Vatican and the United States resorted to personal envoys for more than a century, even during World War II.

It was not until 1984 that President Ronald Reagan and San Juan Paul II established full diplomatic relations.

Mons. Gallagher highlighted how much the American Catholic Church has advanced, remembering the arrival of Catholics in high positions – from John F. Kennedy to the current vice president – and the growing intellectual influence of US theologians such as Fr. John Courtney Murray, whose ideas about religious freedom influenced the Council decisively in the Second Council II.

The Vatican diplomat described the family diversity of the new Pope as “essentially American.”

For many of the attendees in Villa Richardson, the symbolism of the election of Leo XIV was lived with special emotion.

“The election of the first Pope in the United States represents the maturity achieved by the American Catholic Church,” he told CNA – Ewtn News in English – Susan Hanssen, history professor present at the reception.

“An immigrant Catholic community, aware of his identity and struggling to integrate, suddenly broke out in priestly vocations and prominent conversions during the resurgence promoted by John Paul II. It was like a fireworks show that showed confidence in the truth of faith and its power to respond to the challenges of modernity,” added Hanssen, who currently teaches in the summer program of the University of Dallas, Catholic institution based in Rome, near Castel Gandolfo, the papal summer residence.

“Pope León, when choosing Leo XIII as his employer, symbolizes precisely this moment of maturity,” he concluded.

Hamburguesas, Hot Dogs and an honor guard of Marines gave the American touch to the evening. However, the embassy continues without having an ambassador confirmed by the Senate before the Holy See. The one nominated by President Donald Trump, Brian Burch, was approved by the Foreign Relations Committee in May, but his appointment is blocked in the Senate due to objections of Democrats around the financing of foreign aid.

Until the Senate acts, the embassy continues under the direction of Hochla, who assumed as a business manager in July 2024.

Translated and adapted by ACI Press. Originally published in CNA.