Pope Francis will not veto Trump’s pick for ambassador to the Vatican, officials told Reuters

Joshua McElwee

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Francis is not expected to veto President Donald Trump’s pick to be the next U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, a high-profile critic of his papacy, according to two senior Vatican officials, despite concerns about his stance on many issues.

Brian Burch, who heads the right-wing advocacy group, said the pope’s pastoral agenda, such as accepting LGBTQ Catholics, was causing “tremendous confusion” for the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

Trump nominated Burch for the Vatican role in December. At the time, Austen Ivereigh, a papal adviser who co-authored a book with Francis in 2020, said the Vatican had “every right” to refuse to accredit Burch as ambassador.

Two Vatican officials, speaking to Reuters on the background of the still-debated issue, said Francis, who may need to name a new Vatican ambassador to the US during Trump’s four-year term, wanted to avoid a diplomatic tussle and did not plan to veto the appointment.

Burch, whose Senate confirmation hearing has not yet been scheduled, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

At the time of his nomination, Burch said on X, “I am committed to working with leaders within the Vatican and the new administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good.”

Francis, the leader of the global Church since 2013, is usually cautious when venturing into political debates.

But he sharply criticized some of the president’s priorities, such as plans to deport millions of undocumented immigrants. Ahead of Trump’s inauguration, the pope called the deportation program “a disgrace.”

Burch has been part of CatholicVote since 2005. In 2023, he sharply criticized the pope’s decision to allow priests to bless same-sex couples and said the next pope would have to “clarify” some of Francis’ teachings.

Burch also accused the pope of running the Church with a “pattern of vindictiveness,” following Francis’ decision in 2023 to depose a Catholic bishop in Texas who had begun posting right-wing material and conspiracy theories on social media.

NOMINATION IN QUESTION

Two former US ambassadors to the Vatican told Reuters that Burch may find it difficult to make inroads among Vatican officials, given his criticism of the pope.

“People in the Vatican read the news,” said Ken Hackett, who was President Barack Obama’s ambassador from 2013 to 2017. “They don’t like to be insulted or to have negative words spoken about them or the Holy Father.”

Francis Rooney, President George W. Bush’s ambassador from 2005 to 2008, said Vatican officials value their relationship with the US administration but are wary of interacting with papal critics.

“If the kitchen gets too heated on some of these issues publicly, that would certainly make (Vatican officials) back off,” said Rooney, a former Republican congressman. “The only person he won’t clash with is the Pope.”

CatholicVote is known for its close ties to Republican politics.

In 2020, the group sent a guide to voters in swing states, describing Trump as aligned with Catholic teaching on issues such as abortion, religious freedom and health care. The guide did not mention Francis’ criticism of Trump.

CatholicVote also collected data from people’s cell phones while they attended mass. The practice, called “geofencing,” allowed the group to identify potential Catholic voters and send them political ads favoring Trump, raising ethical concerns.

The Reverend Tom Reese, an American Jesuit priest and commentator, said the Vatican expects ambassadors to push their country’s agenda.

“He’s a lobbyist for the U.S. government at the Vatican,” Reese said of Burch’s future role. “But … a lobbyist who is obnoxious won’t accomplish much.”