Just five days before Christmas, President-elect Donald Trump announced he is appointing outspoken conservative and president of CatholicVote Brian Burch to serve as the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican. 

The Vatican, also known as the "Holy See," is the center of the Roman Catholic Church, which is led by Pope Francis. There are roughly 52 million Catholics in the U.S. 

Burch, a father of nine, is an outspoken supporter of the president-elect. His organization, CatholicVote, a conservative activist group, issued its first presidential endorsement in Trump’s favor this year.

Catholic voters across the country swung massively toward Trump in the 2024 election, contributing to his surprise blowout victory on election night.

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In his post announcing the nomination, Trump credited Burch for his significant gains among Catholic voters in November, saying that Burch "represented me well during the last Election, having garnered more Catholic votes than any Presidential Candidate in History!"

"I am pleased to announce that Brian Burch will serve as the next United States Ambassador to the Holy See," said Trump. "Brian is a devout Catholic, a father of nine, and President of CatholicVote. He has received numerous awards, and demonstrated exceptional leadership, helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the Country."

"Brian loves his Church and the United States - He will make us all proud," the president-elect said. "Congratulations to Brian, his wife Sara, and their incredible family!"

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Burch responded to his nomination by posting on X: "To God be the glory."

"Words cannot express my gratitude to all those that have helped me achieve this nomination," said Burch. "I am deeply honored and humbled to have been nominated by President Trump to serve as the United States Ambassador to the Holy See."

He thanked his family, the CatholicVote team and gave special credit to his recently deceased father who, he said, "taught me to love the Church and the blessings and responsibilities of being a citizen of the U.S."

"The Catholic Church is the largest and most important religious institution in the world, and its relationship to the United States is of vital importance," said Burch. "I am committed to working with leaders inside the Vatican and the new Administration to promote the dignity of all people and the common good. I look forward to the confirmation process and the opportunity to continue to serve my country and the Church."

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CatholicVote also responded to the announcement, saying the group is "immensely proud" of Burch and that his nomination "is a testament to the importance of Catholics to the United States."

"Under Brian's leadership, CatholicVote has launched influential campaigns exposing violence against Catholic churches and uncovering government overreach targeting Catholics and pro-life advocates," the group said. "Beyond his professional work, Brian is a devoted husband and father of nine children. His commitment to family life informs his passion for building a culture that upholds the dignity of every human person and supports the central role of families in society." 

The new Trump administration will have several Catholics in high-ranking positions, including Vice-president JD Vance, Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio, Health and Human Services Secretary nominee Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and border czar Tom Homan. 

The position of ambassador to the Holy See requires Senate confirmation.