Nominee Brian Burch tells Senate Foreign Relations Committee he would deepen U.S.–Holy See partnership

Brian Burch, President Trump’s nominee to serve as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, told the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on April 8, 2025, that he would work to “deepen this partnership” between the United States and the Holy See by focusing on humanitarian cooperation, religious freedom and dialogue on global conflicts.

The nomination hearing highlighted the Holy See’s global reach and moral influence as committee members pressed Burch on how he would explain and defend recent U.S. foreign assistance changes to Vatican officials and how he would approach the Vatican’s relationship with China. "The relationship between the United States and the Holy See is both unique and vital," Burch said in his opening statement.

Burch said his background leading CatholicVote and years of engagement with faith leaders had prepared him…