Ambassador Burch discusses peace with Pope Leo, brings emblematic gifts of America

On Saturday, Sept. 13, Pope Leo XIV formally received the letters of credentials from the new United States Ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Burch, who marked the occasion by presenting the Holy Father with emblematic gifts from America.

According to a statement from the U.S. Embassy to the Holy See, during their private conversation, Ambassador Burch raised the tragic assassination of U.S. advocate Charlie Kirk. 

“Pope Leo underscored that our political differences can never be resolved with violence and told Ambassador Burch that he was praying for the widow of Mr. Kirk and his children,” the statement said.

Ambassador Burch described the meeting “as extraordinarily friendly, like talking to a friend back home in Chicago.” He introduced the Pope to his wife Sara, their nine children, his daughter-in-law, and granddaughter, along with members of the embassy staff.

With the desire to share symbols of American culture and faith, Ambassador Burch offered Pope Leo several meaningful gifts. Among them was a painting, drawn by one of his daughters, of the Augustinian Tolentine Seminary and College in Olympia Fields, Illinois, named after St. Nicholas of Tolentino.

He also brought a chocolate birthday cake from Portillo’s, the well-known South Chicago hot dog and beef chain. 

Most notably, Burch presented the Pope with a first-class relic of Blessed Stanley Francis Rother, a priest and the first American-born martyr. Much like Pope Leo, Father Rother left his home diocese — in his case, Oklahoma City — to serve as a missionary in Latin America. He was murdered in Guatemala in 1981.

For his part, Pope Leo gifted Ambassador Burch a richly illustrated book on the Apostolic Palace, which will be displayed at Villa Richardson, the ambassador’s residence in Rome.

The embassy reported that Ambassador Burch and Pope Leo “discussed an array of global challenges including conflicts between Russia and Ukraine and the war in Gaza. They also touched on protecting religious freedom, the Vatican’s relationship with China, and the AI revolution.”

CatholicVote President Kelsey Reinhardt said the meeting “reaffirms the special relationship between the Holy See and the United States. They share a common mission: to defend the dignity of every human person, to safeguard religious freedom, and to seek peace rooted in truth.”

Reinhardt added, “Ambassador Burch knows this better than most. A father of nine and a man formed by his Catholic faith, he has long integrated his love for America with a bold witness to human dignity, religious freedom, and truth.”