Trump Picks Fight With Pope With New Vatican Ambassador
President-elect Donald Trump on Friday nominated Brian Burch, a right-wing Catholic who has often criticized Pope Francis, as his ambassador to the Holy See.
Trump announced Burch, a father of nine and president of the non-profit CatholicVote.org (which he described as “one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the Country”) as his nominee in a Truth Social post, which was followed by a message selling “God Bless the USA” Bibles.
Burch is also the author of the independently published book A New Catholic Moment: Donald Trump and the Politics of the Common Good, which touts Trump’s impact on U.S. politics “to make sure that Americans from all walks of life can live the American Dream.”
“He represented me well during the last Election, having garnered more Catholic votes than any Presidential Candidate in History,” wrote Trump of Burch and, of course, his recent re-election. “Brian loves his Church and the United States—He will make us all proud.”
Burch, however, may not have a lot of love for Pope Francis specifically. He strongly opposed the pontiff’s decision to allow the blessing of same-sex couples; in a post on X last year, he derided the “progressive Catholic cheerleading” that he associated with Francis’ leadership—as well as what he charged as a crackdown on conservative critics.
He has also alleged church leaders might have collaborated with the FBI on plans “to infiltrate ‘Latin mass’ communities,” amid reports last year that the agency had warned of “radical traditionalist” Catholics as part of investigations into far-right activism. The warning was later retracted amid controversy; a subsequent inquiry into its origins and implications ruled there was “no evidence of malicious intent” at hand.
In an interview with The National Catholic Reporter, theology professor and director of the Catholic Theological Union’s Bernardin Center in Chicago Steven Millies described Burch as “an agitator, mostly, the opposite of a diplomat.”
“In this way, I suppose while Burch will be a good representative of this second Trump Administration,” Millies continued. “His appointment signals what we already know; a difficult time lies ahead for U.S.-Vatican relations.”
Following his nomination, Burch tweeted that he was “committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the new Administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good.”
Joe Biden plans to meet with Pope Francis in Rome in January on what is expected to be his final trip as president. Just yesterday, the two spoke on the phone to “discuss efforts to advance peace around the world during the holiday season.”
