(OSV News) — The role of the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See is unlike any other in American government. It deals, as articulated well by former Holy See ambassador Jim Nicholson, in “the soft power of moral diplomacy,” one in which the “human condition and human dignity” have primacy of place.
This position, under various iterations, has been held in modern times by such notables as Henry Cabot Lodge Jr., Thomas Patrick Melady, Mary Ann Glendon and Ken Hackett, and it necessitates not only diplomatic acumen but the ability to place the common good — in global affairs and when it comes to fostering collaboration in matters of mutual concern — above political posturing.
For reasons unknown, former Indiana congressman Joe Donnelly stepped down from the role in July after a little more than two years in office, and the position remains vacant. Filling it should be a primary concern of President-elect Donald Trump, who over the years has made courting the Catholic vote a priority.
Neither the Holy See nor the U.S. government require that this individual be a Catholic. But, in order that the proper sensibilities are brought to the job, it should be. It should also be a person who can guard against a warning given by Chicago’s late Cardinal Francis E. George: that of “politics is the ultimate horizon of their thinking and acting.”
The Catholic Church itself is the canary in the coal mine on this point. A concession to politics as the “ultimate horizon” has brought new and unprecedented divisions within the church in the United States, and this election has brought them to the fore more clearly than ever before. The correct choice for the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See would be someone who can put effective collaboration on concerns of common interest over political maneuvering. This person, based on his experience and borne out on his record, is former U.S. Congressman Dan Lipinski.
A skilled politician and a faithful Catholic, Lipinski would be naturally adept at representing the United States in the halls of the Vatican. But Lipinski could also bring unity to the disparate political factions of American Catholics, for he has paid the price for living his Catholic faith. The last pro-life Democrat elected to the U.S. Congress, his tenure ended when his own party forced him into a primary and funded his opponent.
Unlike other notable Catholic Democrats, such as President Joe Biden and former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, Lipinski knows that truth outweighs politics. His honesty and integrity, his obedience to conscience, and his loyalty to truth make him an ideal intermediary between the Holy See and the Trump administration. His nomination would be an olive branch to Catholics who felt alienated by Trump’s about face on abortion access. And Lipiniski would be well-suited to articulate to the Trump administration the priorities of the Holy See under the pontificate of Pope Francis, several of which align well with the traditional definition of a pro-life Democrat — many of whom voted for Trump in 2024. While a member of Congress, Lipinski made care for the poor, migrants, the environment, and rights of the unborn and workers hallmarks of his tenure — all issues dear to the heart of the current pontiff.
Democrats like President Biden and Pelosi often like to say Pope Francis is on “their side.” Lipinski has publicly and rightly taken issue with this claim, and there is no one better to illustrate that grave inaccuracy. It is, as he has described, “trying to squeeze the papacy and the teachings of the Catholic Church into the rigid, shortsighted political framework that dominates American public life today.”
Lipinski knows better. In selecting the next U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, President Trump should look for a credible, faithful individual who understands Catholicism in its fullness and who can be a highly competent, experienced representative of the American government. Former congressman Dan Lipinski is his man.
Michael R. Heinlein is author of “Glorifying Christ: The Life of Cardinal Francis E. George, O.M.I.” and “Black Catholics on the Road to Sainthood.”
