Former CatholicVote president confirmed as Vatican ambassador

The U.S. Senate on Saturday confirmed Brian Burch as the next ambassador to the Vatican in a 49-44 party-line vote. A few senators from each party did not vote. Burch is the former president of CatholicVote, an advocacy organization that backed President Donald Trump’s most recent campaign.

Who is Burch? He lives in the Chicago area and has nine children. His leadership in Catholic advocacy has been formally recognized by awards such as the Cardinal John O’Connor Defender of the Faith Award from Legatus. Burch’s nomination was introduced by Sen. Pete Ricketts, R-Neb. who described him as a champion of poor, vulnerable, and unborn people.  He has served as president of a Catholic school in Illinois.

He is also known for critiquing several actions of the late Pope Francis, including the pope’s authorization of blessings for same-sex couples.

How did Burch respond to his confirmation? He said he was grateful for the opportunity and looked forward to representing the United States before the first American pope, who is also from Chicago. Burch said the Roman Catholic Church’s global reach and moral witness made it a critical partner in American efforts to foster peace and prosperity, according to a statement emailed to WORLD.

Dig deeper: Read my report on Trump’s decision to fire the head of the Bureau of Labor Statistics.