President Joe Biden's new ambassador to the Holy See made his introductions with Pope Francis at the Vatican's apostolic palace on Monday.
"I look forward to deepening our ties with the Holy See," Ambassador Joseph Donnelly, a former Indiana senator (2013-2019), said in a video statement Monday, the Catholic News Agency (CNA) reported.
"My family and I are proud to be members of the Catholic faith. 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 confirmed in the Senate on Jan. 20 after being nominated last fall.
He replaces Trump administration Ambassador Callista Gingrich, who is the wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. Patrick Connell has been serving as chargé d’affaires ad interim at the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See since Gingrich's departure, January 2021.
"I have been profoundly moved by the power of the church to improve the lives of people all around the globe," Donnelly continued in his video message, according to CNA.
"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."
Donnelly, a member of Congress since 2007, was initially an outspoken foe of abortion funding in former President Barack Obama's 2010 Affordable Care Act among Democrats.
But he wound up voting for the legislation and reversed his position against federal funding of abortion-provider Planned Parenthood when he was in the Senate, according to CNA.
"The United States and the Holy See have a very special relationship," Donnelly's video statement concluded. "Together, we work hard to be a force for good in the world, defending human rights and religious freedom, combating trafficking in persons, caring for the environment, and advancing peace, security, and the rights of children, seniors, women, and all of our brothers and sisters everywhere."
Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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