President-elect Donald Trump announced on Friday his intention to appoint Brian Burch, president of CatholicVote, as the next U.S. ambassador to the Holy See. 

“Brian is a devout Catholic, a father of nine, and President of CatholicVote,” Trump said in a statement. “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!”

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

CatholicVote is a conservative Catholic advocacy organization, which endorsed Trump in this year’s presidential election.

“I am deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated by President Trump to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See,” Burch said in a statement. “Words cannot express my gratitude to all those that have helped me achieve this nomination, most especially my wife Sara, my 9 beautiful children, my CV team, and all those who supported me in this journey.  I am especially grateful to my father, who passed to eternal life this past June, who taught me to love the Church and the blessings and responsibilities of being a citizen of the U.S.”

Burch is the co-author of the America Catholic Daily Reader and the author of A New Catholic Moment: Donald Trump and the Politics of the Common Good, which was published in 2020. He studied political philosophy at the University of Dallas and currently lives in the Chicago suburbs with his family. 

“The role of Ambassador is to represent the government of the United States in its relations with the Holy See. 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,” he added. “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.  I look forward to the confirmation process and the opportunity to continue to serve my country and the Church. To God be the glory.”

During most of Catholic President Joe Biden’s tenure, former Indiana senator and Planned Parenthood advocate Joe Donnelly held the ambassadorship. Donnelly was appointed in 2021 and stepped down from his position in July 2024.