In an interview with EWTN News published March 3, U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch spoke about how he sees his role as one that, in part, helps communicate the Trump administration’s goals to the Vatican and build bridges between the two sovereign states.
In the conversation with EWTN News’ Colm Flynn and Hannah Brockhaus, Burch, co-founder of CatholicVote, mentioned how the full diplomatic relations between the Holy See and U.S. date back to 1984 and that taking on the role amounted to something bigger than himself.
“Part of my job here is to build consensus, to help the Holy See to understand the policies and aims of the administration, and to build bridges between the two sovereign states,” Burch said.
Pope Leo XIV and the U.S. Catholic bishops have criticized some of President Donald Trump’s immigration and deportation enforcement. Burch recognized that some of Trump’s foreign policy efforts and immigration policies have been controversial. However, “he denied that his job as ambassador is ‘explaining Trump’ to the Vatican,” EWTN News reported.
Burch told the interviewers, “For me, it’s about a set of ideas. It’s about a set of priorities that this president is advancing.”
“It’s explaining why what we’re doing is necessary, is right, is good for the United States, is good for the world,” he continued. “I don’t see a conflict there. I think people want to make it into a personality fight between the pope and the president. That’s not what it’s about.”
Burch also said that the Holy See and U.S. agree on various principles, saying they “share this common bond about truth and justice and human dignity and fundamental understanding of freedom. These are perennial things that transcend politics.”
However, Burch also acknowledged there are “areas of prudential judgment where we may agree on the end but disagree on the means.”
“But I think on the fundamental questions, certainly the protection of life, the importance of the family, the right of parents to direct the education of their children, the need to advance peace and justice around the world,” he said, “there’s no disagreement between the Vatican and the United States.”
Burch also spoke about the diplomatic roles the Vatican and U.S. have in working to help international conflicts find resolutions, underscoring how both play crucial roles.
EWTN News reported that Burch said when he meets with representatives of the Holy See, they ask him about updates on negotiations in conflicts occurring in places such as Ukraine and Venezuela; the Holy See also inquires about how the Pope can help or speak into an issue, or how the Church can effectively help in local conflict or places of persecution.
“The U.S. really does see the Church as this global actor,” Burch said, “that has such an important role to play and how we go about trying to solve some of the problems.”