Joe Donnelly, the new U.S. ambassador to the Holy See officially began his term on Monday with an audience with Pope Francis.
The Ambassador presented his credentials to the Pope at the Vatican’s apostolic palace on 11 April.
“I look forward to deepening our ties with the Holy See. My family and I are proud to be members of the Catholic faith,” Donnelly said in a video message published by the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See.
“From my childhood, through my college and law school years at the University of Notre Dame, through years of public service in Indiana and Washington, D.C., the Catholic Church has been a core part of my life and my values.”
Donnelly was the former senator for Indiana. He was nominated for the post by President Joe Biden last fall. The Senate confirmed him as the 12th U.S. ambassador to the Vatican on 20 January.
He follows Callista Gingrich, who served as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See from December 2017 to January 2021 under President Donald Trump. Since Biden’s inauguration, Patrick Connell has been serving as chargé d’affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See.
“I have been profoundly moved by the power of the Church to improve the lives of people all around the globe,” Donnelly said in his video message.
“As U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, I will do all I can to ensure that the United States and the Vatican work together to advance human rights and dignity.”