Senate confirms Francis critic Burch as US ambassador to Vatican

Brian Burch’s political operation CatholicVote used geofencing at Catholic liturgies without obtaining the permission of the local bishop or parish priest.

The United States Senate voted to confirm President Donald Trump’s nomination of Brian Burch, former head of the conservative political operation CatholicVote, to serve as the nation’s Ambassador to the Holy See. The vote passed 49-45 along party lines.

In a statement issued after the vote on 2 August, Burch said: “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. I am committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the Trump administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good.”

Burch was a frequent critic of the late Pope Francis, accusing him of offending conservative Catholics, spreading “massive confusion” and practising a “pattern of vindictiveness” by replacing conservative cardinals in the curia with prelates more in line with the Pope’s vision. Burch said synodality, one of Francis’ signature programmes, was “merely a ruse”.

Still more controversial was CatholicVote’s use of geofencing at Catholic liturgies without obtaining the permission of the local bishop or parish priest. Geofencing allows the collection of data from mobile phones within a particular area. CatholicVote cross-checked the information they collected with voter rolls, to make sure those attending conservative parishes were registered to vote.

CatholicVote also sued the Biden administration in 2022, seeking records of its communications with Catholic non-profit organisations that serve migrants. CatholicVote argued that such humanitarian efforts had contributed to the “chaos” at the border.

During Trump’s first term as president, Callista Gingrich served as Ambassador to the Holy See. She was widely respected for her work fighting human trafficking and supporting religious freedom, and stayed clear of issues on which Pope Francis and Trump differed markedly, such as immigration.

Burch was born in Phoenix, Arizona and attended the University of Dallas in Texas. He lives in the Chicago, Illinois suburb of Lombard with his wife, with whom he has nine children.

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