US Ambassador to the Vatican meets with Trump, Vance, Rubio
Brian Burch, co-founder of CatholicVote, is serving as the U.S. Ambassador to the Vatican, discussing with the U.S. political leaders this week ways to work with the Vatican on cultivating peace and religious freedom.
U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See Brian Burch met with President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week in Washington, D.C., according to an Aug. 27 statement from the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See.
They met “to discuss how we can partner with the Holy See to promote global peace and religious freedom,” the embassy said in the statement.
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Burch brought with him several baseballs signed by Pope Leo XIV, presenting them as gifts for the officials. Pope Leo signed them during a special visit to the U.S. Ambassador’s residence to mark the Fourth of July.
The U.S. Embassy to the Holy See noted that the Pope signed them “as a gesture of friendship in celebration of America’s 250th anniversary.”
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Himself a baseball fan through his longtime support of the White Sox, Pope Leo hails originally from Chicago, like Burch. Burch told Zeale News after the historic visit with the Pope that the two of them talked not only about their Chicago roots, but also about the U.S.’ efforts to promote religious freedom, among other topics.
“We had an encouraging dialogue on President Trump’s bold leadership and commitment to advancing religious freedom, his defense of human life, artificial intelligence, and the pursuit of peace around the world,” Burch added. "The Pope was extraordinarily gracious and welcoming to my family. This evening served as a reminder of the closeness of our two nations and the importance of continued cooperation in addressing the many challenges facing our world.”
