December 20th, Donald Trump announcedIntends to nominate Brian Birch as the next U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. President Birch is CatholicVote.orghas been an outspoken defender of Trump and vigorously campaigned for his re-election in 2020 and 2024.
President Trump announces I wrote it on Truth Social: “He represented me well in the last election and received more Catholic votes than any presidential candidate in history!”
among them mission statementCatholicVote aims to “inspire all Catholics in America to live the truths of our faith in public.” As the organization's president, Birch has been a culture warrior, bringing his evangelization into the political arena.
When Pope Francis allowed priests to bless same-sex couples in 2023, Birch said the popechaos“it is”destroy” The teachings of the Catholic Church on human sexuality.
CatholicVote in 2024 tv advertisingHe accused Kamala Harris of supporting taxpayer-funded gender reassignment surgery. Mr. Birch said that Mr. Harris “The transgender agenda is being forced on children”
Some of the people Burch considers models of the Catholic faith have clashed with Pope Francis. Former archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano is one of them.
Vigano sends a letter to Donald Trump in 2020 maintained“Children of darkness – who you may easily identify with the deep state that you wisely oppose and wage a fierce war against you” are responsible for the COVID-19 pandemic and He is responsible for the George Floyd riots.
birch protected Vigano“Vigano may not be right about everything, but there is one thing I am sure of: Satan is real and he is on the prowl.'' In 2024, the Vatican will excommunicated“We refuse to recognize and submit to the supreme pontiff,” Viganò said.
Donald Trump is right to claim that Brian Birch will be a good representative for him in Rome. And what Birch represents is a frontal attack on Pope Francis' papacy. In an interview with the New York Times, Birch criticized the Pope's treatment of his critics, saying, “The Pope'sprogressive catholic cheerleading”
Conservatives criticizing Pope Francis raymond cardinal burke and former bishop, joseph stricklandBoth men were forced out of office for repeatedly questioning the authority of the pope, but were supported by Birch. talked about their dismissal: “Despite his words of being a means of mercy and companionship, patterns of vengeance and punishment seem to be flying.”
Birch's appointment underscores divisions within the U.S. Catholic Church that have worsened under President Joe Biden.
On the day of Biden's inauguration, Archbishop Jose Gomez, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, issued the following statement: cruel remark: “Our new president has pledged to pursue specific policies that promote moral evil and most seriously threaten human life and dignity in the areas of abortion, contraception, marriage, and gender.”
It led to a debate over whether pro-Catholic politicians like Biden and Nancy Pelosi should receive Holy Communion. Prohibited It was imposed on Pelosi by San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordione.
The rightward shift of the Catholic Church is also evident in the composition of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archbishop of Hartford Christopher Coyne say: “I think overall we tend to be a more conservative, Republican type of community.”
But the conservative wave within the U.S. Catholic Church is not limited to bishops. a investigationIn a survey of 3,500 priests conducted by The Catholic University of America, more than half described themselves as “conservative/Orthodox” or “very conservative/Orthodox,” and out of 10 new priests, More than 8 people agree with this. No one has been ordained a priest.Since 2020, he has described himself as “very progressive.”
During Biden's presidency, there was an unusual closeness between the president and the Pope. This started after the death of Joe Biden's son Beau when the Pope offered:comfort'' he told his distraught father, and continued to communicate frequently with the president.
No wonder Biden is like that. Last major foreign trip as president He is scheduled to visit the Vatican for a final meeting with the Pope. The visit comes after Biden. I commuted Most federal prisoners are sentenced to life in prison; In response to the Pope's prayers That he does. The fraternal relationship between the president and the pope is unusual and mutually beneficial.
However, things will change with the return of Donald Trump. An immediate conflict is likely over President Trump's mass deportation plan. President Trump calls out violent immigrantsanimal”, not welcoming immigrants is “serious crime”
Birch disagrees with Pope on this issue. Catholic Vote in 2022 Catholic institutions condemned It contributed to the “chaos” at the U.S.-Mexico border. In a statement he said: accused “American Catholics need a full picture of the U.S. government’s role in funding and coordinating Catholic Church-related agencies at the border and what role these agencies played in the record surge in illegal immigration.” You have the right to know.”
Bishop Daniel Flores of the Texas border town of Brownsville accused Birch of orchestrating a relationship between the Catholic humanitarian organization and the federal government.in a distorted way.”
There is good reason to expect Birch to bring that combative style to the Vatican. Stephen Millies, professor of public theology and director of the Bernardin Center at the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago, said:talk about his nomination: “Birch is an instigator, the opposite of a diplomat. His appointment suggests what we already know: difficult times are ahead for U.S.-Vatican relations.” ”
Brian Birch will likely represent Donald Trump well by bringing his activist, confrontational style to Rome. And it will have a negative impact on US diplomacy.
John Kenneth White is Professor Emeritus at The Catholic University of America. His latest book is titled “Grand Old Unraveling: The Republican Party, Donald Trump, and the Rise of Authoritarianism.” You can contact him at: johnkenethwhite.com.
