During a Senate hearing, President Donald Trump’s nominee for ambassador to the Vatican, Brian Burch, stood by the administration’s proposed foreign-aid cuts while highlighting the efficiency of Catholic charities in delivering such aid. Burch, who leads CatholicVote, a Chicago-based organization that endorsed Trump in the 2024 election, was questioned by the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations as part of his confirmation process.
In his testimony, Burch, who has sometimes echoed American Catholic conservative critiques of Pope Francis, acknowledged the Pope’s influence and thanked Americans for their thoughts during the pontiff’s recent hospitalization. He emphasized the Vatican’s unique role in international relations, noting its moral influence and significance in supporting U.S. interests like promoting peace and defending vulnerable populations. Burch would represent Trump to Pope Francis, who has previously criticized U.S. mass deportation plans.
Senator Jeanne Shaheen, the ranking Democrat on the committee, challenged Burch on the administration’s foreign-aid cuts, referencing concerns from Caritas Internationalis about potential detrimental impacts on impoverished populations. Shaheen asked how Burch would convey the U.S. commitment to humanitarian aid to the Vatican. Burch responded by praising Catholic NGOs as efficient partners in aid distribution but justified some aid reductions, arguing misalignment with U.S. interests.
Shaheen pointed out that foreign aid only constitutes about 1% of the federal budget and sought examples of aid running counter to U.S. policy. Burch referred to unfounded reports of funding for inconsequential research, a claim Shaheen refuted as a justification for cuts. Meanwhile, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops stated it would not renew federal funding agreements due to migrant resettlement cuts, a separate issue from foreign aid.
Republicans on the committee sought and received Burch’s promise to advocate for persecuted Christians worldwide if confirmed. Regarding a Vatican accord allowing China a role in bishop appointments, Burch expressed his belief that the church should not relinquish authority over such decisions to any government, including China. He stressed the importance of the Vatican supporting human rights in China and maintaining ties with Taiwan.
As president and co-founder of CatholicVote, Burch lives in the suburbs of Chicago with his wife, Sara, and their nine children. He has previously criticized Pope Francis over his stances on conservative critiques and his support for a 2023 Vatican statement permitting clergy to bless same-sex couples under specific conditions.
AP VoteCast’s recent survey revealed that Trump, a self-identified nondenominational Christian, secured 55% of the Catholic vote in November’s election. This represents a shift from 2020 when the Catholic vote was nearly evenly divided between Trump and Joe Biden, who became the second Catholic president of the United States.