(RNS) — President-elect Donald Trump announced Friday (Dec. 20) that he has nominated Brian Burch, the president and co-founder of CatholicVote, as ambassador to the Holy See.
Burch wrote on X that he was “deeply honored and humbled” to be nominated, expressing gratitude to family and those at his organization. “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,” he wrote.
CatholicVote has emerged as a reliable ally of the president-elect and helped to garner Catholic votes for the GOP in November; additionally the lobbying organization and political action committee has focused its efforts on fighting abortion rights, advocating against LGBTQ+ inclusion and civil rights, and criticizing immigrant ministries.
Burch has been a vocal critic of Pope Francis’ decision to oust two conservative Catholic leaders from their positions, and he has dismissed the efforts of the most recent synod, a top priority for the pope, as a ruse.
Ken Hackett, an ambassador to the Holy See during President Barack Obama’s second term, told RNS that while Burch’s opposition to Francis could possibly be overstated, he might run into some trouble in the post.
“This is the pontificate of Pope Francis, and while there may be many in the Curia that don’t agree 100% with everything Francis does or decides, he is still the pope, and if you’re seen as in opposition in any way to him, you …