Brian Burch has been sworn in as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See following a narrow Senate confirmation earlier this month.
Burch, the co-founder of CatholicVote, was nominated by President Donald Trump on 20 December, with Trump praising his dedication to the Catholic Church and to American politics.
The Senate voted 51–45 to end debate on his nomination, and later confirmed him by a margin of 49–44 on 2 August. Such a tight outcome is unusual for an ambassadorial appointment, particularly to the Holy See, which has often commanded broad bipartisan support. The closeness of the vote highlighted the fractious political mood in Washington, where even traditionally uncontroversial diplomatic postings have become subject to sharp divisions.
