Trump selected Brian Burch, head of the group Catholic Vote, who has blasted the pope on social media and elevated the writings of other conservative priests who were also critical of the pope.
President-elect Donald Trump on Friday nominated the leader of a right-wing Catholic advocacy group as United States Ambassador to the Holy See, despite his vocal criticism of Pope Francis.
Trump selected Brian Burch, head of the group CatholicVote, praising him as a “devout Catholic” who “loves his Church” in a post on Truth Social.
“He has received numerous awards, and demonstrated exceptional leadership, helping build one of the largest Catholic advocacy groups in the Country,” Trump wrote. “He represented me well during the last Election, having garnered more Catholic votes than any Presidential Candidate in History! Brian loves his Church and the United States – He will make us all proud.”
Burch has also gained attention for his sharp criticism of the pope on social media.
One area the pair have conflicted on is Pope Francis’ allowance for Catholic priests to bless same-sex marriages. Burch claimed the decision created “confusion” within the church, according to the National Catholic Reporter.